


Over My Head

by AceTrainerHope



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, G/T, Giants/tinies, Mild Language, Slow Burn, Transformation, currently on hiatus, giant!Robin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2018-10-29 00:17:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 71,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10842480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceTrainerHope/pseuds/AceTrainerHope
Summary: As a Shepherd, Chrom promised to always help those in need, but now that promise might have just gotten him in over his head.Literally.





	1. Doing Something

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, this is the first story I've ever posted on Ao3. I don't post stuff often so this also might be my only story for a while. Sorry if it's sucks, I literally thought this up, like, barely two days ago. (It's been a long while since I've posted any fanfictions anywhere. :'D )

* * *

“Chrom, we have to do _something,”_ a young girl insisted.

“Well, what do you propose we do?”  Her older brother questioned. His tone was a strange mix of exasperation and curiosity.

“I… I don’t know. But we can’t just leave her here like this, can we?” She went on. The blue-haired prince turned his attention back to the one she was referring to. Of all the things they could’ve found in this field, this certainly wasn’t something he ever would’ve expected. Hell, until now, he didn’t even believe anything like this _existed_ outside of fairytales and storybooks.

A giant.

There was an honest-to-gods _giant_ lying unconscious about a hundred yards ahead of them.

Well, a giantess, to be specific.

She had long white hair tied into loose pigtails, and she wore a long, black cloak with odd purple and yellow markings. It vaguely reminded him of the garb worn by Plegian mages, but that wasn’t one of the most prominent features on Chrom’s mind.

Firstly, although the woman was lying down, Chrom guessed that she had to be a good fifty or sixty feet tall. Aside from that, she looked entirely human. Chrom would dare say she even looked beautiful; strikingly so.

Secondly, even from this distance, the siblings could make out a gash on the woman’s abdomen. It looked small compared to the rest of her body, but it seemed pretty deep. Dry blood stained her clothing, and the wound itself didn’t appear to be bleeding much, indicating that she’d been lying there for quite some time.

The Ylissean Prince had never felt this conflicted before. While he agreed with his sister, he also worried for her safety. He didn’t want to put her in any unnecessary danger, and this giant woman was a complete stranger. If she woke while they were trying to help, there was no telling how she would react.

“Maybe we should wait for Frederick to–” Chrom started as he turned to face his younger sister. Only to find that she was already bounding off closer to the giantess. “Lissa! Wait! Don’t–” he sighed heavily before following after her.

As the duo approached, it only became more clear just how huge this woman really was. She was lying on her side with one arm sprawled out in front of her, palm up. Each finger looked almost as long as Chrom was tall.

“I’m gonna try healing her,” Lissa declared as her brother finally caught up. And then, much to Chrom’s dismay, she proceeded to get _even_ _closer_. He quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

“Lissa, wait!” he repeated insistently, “Just… Be careful, okay?”

“Oh, Chrom, you worry too much. I’ll be fine!” The blonde assured him with one of her bright smiles. He gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting her continue.

Lissa then went and walked right up next to the giant woman’s stomach, holding her staff up as close to the gash as she could. Even stretched on her tiptoes, there was still a considerable amount of distance between them. Still, the young cleric began softly chanting a healing incantation, and the staff began to glow a dull blue as she spoke.

This close, Lissa observed that, had this woman been the size of an average person, her injury probably would’ve been about three inches long. Several years of practice with the healing arts led Lissa to believe that it was caused by a sword, or maybe a dagger, but she shuddered at the thought of a weapon that big. Well, if giants existed, surely giant _weapons_ did, too.

After a few seconds, the wound began to glow as well. However, the healing process was going much slower than what Lissa was used to; it appeared to be working, but the change was barely noticeable. Of course, given the huge size difference, it made sense that such an injury would take longer to heal than normal. With mounting frustration, she decided that she had to get closer if she wanted this to work better.

If Chrom thought his little sister was being brave before, he was downright shocked watching her hoist herself right up onto the giantess’s arm. He would’ve gladly agreed to give her a boost if she’d asked him to, but there she went, finding her footing on the rather uneven surface before continuing her healing ritual.

It was kind of like standing on a mattress, if Lissa had to compare it to anything. A warm, living mattress.

From her new vantage point, the blonde cleric was much more satisfied with her results. It wasn’t long before the wound was fully closed; if she was lucky, there wouldn’t be more than a scar left by the time she was finished.

But then, Lissa’s concentration was quickly broken as the surface below her began to shift ever so slightly. She threw her arms out to keep her balance, and turned to watch as the giantess’s eyes slowly fluttered open. Her vision was unfocused and still somewhat clouded with sleepiness, but a few blinks brought some clarity to her gaze.

Instinctively, Chrom’s hand flew to the hilt of his Falchion, and he readied himself for any sudden moves the giantess might make. His own sudden movement seemed to draw her attention, though, and Chrom could make out every little detail on her face as she took him in. Any grogginess seemed to vanish in an instant; she looked just as surprised to see him as he’d been when he first saw her.

With her other arm, the one that Lissa _wasn’t_ standing on, she started trying to prop herself up to a seated position. However, about halfway there, the young woman instantly froze when she noticed the comparatively tiny cleric standing on her. More surprise lit up her gray eyes.

Almost a full minute went by with all three of them just staring at each other; no one dared to move. At least, not until Lissa started slowly backing away down the length of the woman’s arm. She held her staff tightly with both hands, visibly trembling with each step she took. Being asleep was one thing, but to have the woman’s full and undivided attention was quite another.

The giantess tried to keep perfectly still as she watched Lissa, making no moves to stop her, but the tickly feeling of little feet moving along her arm made that rather difficult.

She reflexively twitched in response, and even that tiny bit of movement was enough to cause Lissa to lose her balance. With a gasp, the cleric clutched her staff even tighter as she fell, bracing for impact. It wasn’t that high by any means, but a fall was a fall nonetheless.

However, instead of meeting the ground, Lissa’s back met a soft yet firm surface. Huge fingers curled up around her, and she realized that the giantess had caught her with the hand she’d been using to prop herself up. Lissa was now lying in the palm of her hand, completely at her mercy.

That had been the exact sudden movement that Chrom was preparing for, and in an instant, he drew his sword out from its sheath. He was just about to lunge forward when he realized what had actually happened. Feeling slightly embarrassed, the lordling lowered his sword, though he still kept it unsheathed.

“I… I’m sorry,” the woman apologized to Lissa, her soothing voice barely above a whisper. She hadn’t even noticed Chrom’s little outburst. “Are you alright?” The only answer Lissa could give was a nod, her words lost at the moment.

From his vantage point, Chrom couldn’t see his sister’s response, prompting him to speak up.  “Lissa, are you alright?” He repeated the giantess’s question, noticeably raising his voice.

“Y… Yeah, I’m fine!” She called back over her shoulder as she sat up. The sound of her brother’s voice was all the help she needed to find her own. “Everything’s fine!”

The sound of Chrom’s voice also managed to draw the white-haired woman’s attention away from Lissa and back to the one she’d first seen upon waking. When she saw that he’d drawn forth a sword, she looked… nervous?

“I, um, I’m sorry if I scared you, but I-I won’t hurt either of you, I promise,” she spoke rather quickly.

“No, no, you’re alright,” Chrom assured her, sheathing the Falchion. Her words sounded so genuine, and the blue-haired prince started to feel almost guilty for pointing the sword at her in the first place. “I’m just… a bit overprotective of my sister.”

“Your… sister?” The giantess echoed.

“Yes, that’s my sister, Lissa. And I’m Chrom,” he introduced. “Do you have a, er, that is… What’s your name?”

“My name? My name is... Robin,” she replied, though Chrom was surprised when she sounded a bit uncertain. Robin then took a moment to look around the area before she continued, “It’s nice to meet both of you, but, um... where am I? And... why are you so small? N-No offense.”

 _Gods, she’s just full of surprises isn’t she?_ Chrom mused, “Well, my sister and I found you here in this field. We’re just a couple miles south of Southtown, in the halidom of Ylisse,” he explained to her.

“And we’re not small!” Lissa spoke up, “I mean, I guess we are compared to you, but you’re the one who’s a giant!” Chrom couldn’t help but cringe at his sister’s blunt statement. Luckily, Robin didn’t seem offended by Lissa’s phrasing; she just seemed confused.

She gave their surroundings another once-over, really taking in the landscape this time. It was only then that she noticed how everything was proportioned much, _much_ more for someone of Chrom and Lissa’s stature. Her confusion was soon joined by dismay.

“Um, mmm…” she stuttered hesitantly, “I don’t… I don’t think I’m supposed to be like this?”

“Wait, Robin, are you saying you used to be normal-sized?” Lissa wondered, sounding more awestruck than anything else.

“I… I’m not sure,” the white-haired woman admitted.

“How can you not be sure?” Chrom questioned in disbelief. He didn’t sound angry, just surprised. That seemed to be a word he was using a lot around her.

“My memories are just a bit… hazy. Maybe more than a bit,” she explained. Slowly, Robin moved to set Lissa down beside her brother, and then she rested her now free hand on her forehead, as if she was getting a headache.

Chrom made a mental note of the strange design branded on the back of her hand; purple markings that resembled six piercing eyes.

“I wonder if it has anything to do with that sword wound you had,” Lissa offered, pointing to the tear in Robin’s clothing. Robin turned her head to look where Lissa pointed.

“Oh… Did you heal that for me?” She asked. Lissa nodded, proud of her work. “Thank you so much! I… don’t really remember how I got that either, though.”

“That’s okay! Maybe we can help you figure it out!” The blonde princess said encouragingly.

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Of course! Us Shepherds always help people who need it! Right, Chrom?” Lissa beamed, turning to face her brother.

“Lissa, I’m not sure if we _can_ help her,” Chrom whispered, leaning a little bit closer to her. “She can’t exactly travel with us to the capital without causing a panic.”

“Well, what else are we supposed to do? Just leave her in this field, lost and alone?” Lissa countered. “Chrom, she doesn’t even remember how she got _stabbed!”_

“I know, but…” Chrom heaved his second heavy sigh of the day as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His confliction was at an all-time high, but his conscience would never allow him to abandon this woman. “Okay, okay, you’re right,” he conceded. He spoke up as he turned to talk to Robin, “We’ll have to… figure things out as we go, but Lissa and I will do everything we can to help you.”

_Frederick’s going to kill us._


	2. Wary as Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which Frederick lives up to his nickname._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I kinda lied. This isn't exactly going to be a one-shot. Maybe a collection of one-shots. They might not be in chronological order after this point, but we'll see what happens. My goal is to just write and post whatever I can finish, so it all depends on how my brain works, I guess. :P

“I left you two alone for half an hour at most,” Frederick stated bluntly from where he stood beside his horse. His tone was laced with exhaustion and disbelief, like a worn out parent scolding their children.

Or like a worn out knight scolding his charges.

Chrom and Lissa stood before him, both looking rather embarrassed. Their trusted caretaker had arrived not long after the two of them had finished offering to help Robin. Robin, who was currently sitting a few yards away and trying to make herself look as small as possible.

Easier said than done.

The white-haired giantess sat with her knees hugged close to her chest, watching quietly as her two new friends explained the situation to the man who had just arrived. Seeing his steed only served as another reminder of what Lissa had said; that she and Chrom were normal-sized, and Robin was the one who was gigantic. She could still hardly believe it. Although, she supposed that either scenario, whether she be huge or Chrom and Lissa be tiny, was equally unbelievable.

From where she sat, Robin could just barely make out what the three of them were saying to each other. Based on their conversation, she got the feeling that they didn’t know she could hear them. Or maybe they just didn’t care. She didn’t really get that kind of vibe from them, though. Well, maybe from Frederick, but not from Lissa or Chrom.

“And you just believed her when she said she couldn’t remember anything?” The brunet knight questioned.

“What reason would she have to lie about that, Frederick?” Chrom countered. “If she wanted to hurt us, she easily could’ve done so already.”

“... A fair point, milord,” Frederick conceded. “However, if you truly wish to help this woman, how do you propose we do that?” He pointed out. “I don’t see how she can travel with us without causing mass hysteria in every town we come across, and avoiding civilization will be all but impossible if we wish to return to the capital.”

“I… I’m still trying to figure that out myself, honestly,” the blue-haired prince admitted. “But Lissa and I already discussed this. Whatever we do next, and whether you believe her or not, we can’t just leave her here.”

“You know,” Lissa piped up, “she could probably just walk around whatever towns we get to while the rest of us pass through. I mean, that’ll at least take care of things until we get to Ylisstol.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Chrom agreed. “She can probably cover twice as much ground as we can, if not more so. Perhaps, for now, it’d be best if we just took this one step at a time. Cross the bridges when we get to them.”

“No offense, milord, but wouldn’t that just be avoiding the issue?” Frederick brought up.

“None taken, but until we can come up with a better plan, it’s all we’ve got.”

“...Don’t I get a say in this?” Robin spoke up, although she tried to keep her volume somewhat low. The others still flinched nonetheless, clearly taken by surprise.

“O-Oh, Robin, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t realize you could hear us,” Chrom apologized quickly.

“It’s okay, I just… Well, I really appreciate your offer, but I don’t want to cause you all so much trouble,” she murmured.

“If I may be so blunt, I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” Frederick cut in. “As milord said earlier, we cannot simply leave you here. It is our duty to solve this problem, one way or another.”

“Well, we can’t exactly force you to do anything you don’t wanna do,” Lissa reminded her.

“No, no, I… I’ll do whatever you all think is best,” Robin noted.

“Alright then, if that’s settled, we should probably get a move on,” Chrom declared. “Southtown isn’t too far from here. Once we have it in our sights, we can split up and regroup on the opposite side of town.”

And with that, Frederick climbed back onto his horse and urged the mare to start walking. Chrom and Lissa followed along beside him on foot.

Robin, however, hesitated for a moment. She was still a little lightheaded from when she first woke up, and a part of her was worried that she might just stumble and fall right back down if she tried to stand.

Not to mention the fact that, even sitting down, she didn’t really like how she towered over the others so much. But of course, she knew she couldn’t stay sitting in this field forever. Keeping that in mind, Robin slowly and carefully pushed herself up to her feet, only wobbling slightly when she came to stand at her full height.

Looking down at the others, Robin saw that all three had stopped walking, and were staring up at her with wide eyes. Even Frederick’s usually stoic expression was temporarily replaced by one of awe.

None of them stood much taller than Robin’s ankles, and that included Frederick sitting on the back of his horse. Needless to say, it was a very intimidating sight to behold.

Lissa, bless her heart, was the first one to recover. “Wow, Robin, can you even hear us from all the way up there?” She called up jokingly, cupping one hand around her mouth.

“Just barely,” Robin replied, and she couldn’t help but smile at Lissa’s attempt at lightening the mood. She had a feeling that if she wasn’t paying attention, she could easily miss what they were saying.

“Right. Let’s get a move on then, shall we?” Frederick advised after regaining his composure.

A quick glance in the direction they were headed showed Robin a village off in the distance. “Is that Southtown over there?” She checked, pointing towards it. After the fact, she realized that was a pretty silly question, seeing as it was the only town around for what must’ve been miles.

“You can see it already?” Chrom wondered, sounding a bit surprised. He probably shouldn’t have been all that surprised, to be honest. At her full height, Robin’s eye level was probably about the same as the average altitude for a pegasus knight.

She nodded. “I guess I’ll just have to wait for you guys to let me know when to split off, huh?”

Their current method of travel was… interesting, to say the least. Ten or so paces for the others was equal to about one of Robin’s. So, instead of walking normally, she ending up taking a step and then waiting while they got a few more yards ahead of her. It felt rather awkward, and she imagined it probably looked rather awkward as well.

Just another thing to get used to, Robin supposed.

For the others, there was something different to get used to; something that Robin didn’t even notice. To them, every step she took was followed by a dull yet somewhat loud thud. Almost like the sound of a tree falling over. They could tell she was treading carefully, but the ground still shook ever so slightly from the impact.

It was going to be a long way to the capital…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the by, if any of you guys have suggestions for any scenes you might want to see next, feel free to leave them down in the comments! I probably won't be able to write all of them, but I'll see what I can do. :'3


	3. An Exalted Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which explanations are given and introductions are made._   
> 

“Chrom, Lissa! Welcome home,” Lady Emmeryn greeted her younger siblings as they entered the throne room. “Oh, and hello Frederick. How fared you all?”

Lissa and Frederick looked to Chrom, expecting him to be the one to answer that question. Unfortunately, the blue-haired lord barely even knew where to begin.

Listing off the events in his head, in order, first there was Robin. Second, there were the Plegian brigands that Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick had discovered as the three of them were making their way through Southtown. A fact they had neglected to mention to Robin, though she had wondered why it took so long for them to meet back up with her on the other side of town.

It had been a laughably easy fight, and Chrom saw no point in making Robin worry. However, the bandits’ presence had been concerning nonetheless. It wasn’t the first time, and Chrom doubted it would be the last.

Third, and probably the most troubling issue on the table, were the strange undead soldiers they had encountered in the wilderness just west of the capital. With no clue where those things came from, or even what they really were, stopping them would prove difficult.

And then, finally, there were the words spoken by the masked man who had saved Lissa’s life; the one who went by the name Marth. Chrom still didn’t really know what to make of him, especially with the grand entrance he’d made.

All and all, the last few days had been anything but ordinary. It was probably enough to make a lesser person lose their mind, honestly. And explaining everything to his older sister definitely wasn’t going to be easy. But Chrom would certainly try his best.

He started with the bandits in Southtown, the simplest thing to talk about. Emmeryn’s personal guard, Phila, interjected at one point, apologizing for her pegasus knights’ inability to intercept the bandits before they got that far, but Chrom assured her that she had no reason to be sorry.

Next he discussed the ghastly creatures they’d encountered in the woods, and was surprised to learn from Phila that there had actually been sightings of them all across the halidom while he, Lissa, and Frederick were gone.

Finally came what was probably the hardest thing for Chrom to explain. He was pretty sure Emmeryn and Phila wouldn’t even have believed him if he didn’t have Frederick and Lissa backing him up.

“Lissa and I found her in the fields just south of Southtown,” he explained. “She was unconscious and injured, and when she awoke we learned that she had no memory of who she was or how she ended up there. All she could remember was her name, and she was certain that she had been… of normal stature before waking.”

“And… where is this woman now?” Emmeryn wondered curiously.

“We left her waiting in the woods behind the castle,” Frederick reported. “About a mile or so away from the bottom of the hill.”

Navigating a forest or an open field was one thing, but with Robin’s size there was absolutely no way for her to walk through the city without toppling a few buildings. Aside from that obvious fact, the residents of Ylisstol probably wouldn’t respond too well to seeing a fifty-foot tall woman in the streets.

“Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak my mind,” the knight went on. “The woman in question only _claimed_ to have lost her memory. We have no proof that this is actually the case, and I feel it would be unwise to rule out the possibility that she may have ill intentions.”

“Frederick, I thought you and I already discussed this,” Chrom remarked, sounding rather frustrated.

“We did, milord, but I thought it prudent to share my concerns with Lady Emmeryn,” Frederick justified himself.

“It seems you have quite a deal of trust in this woman, Chrom,” Emmeryn observed.

“I… I do, Emm,” he admitted. “I haven’t known her for very long, but I believe Robin is a very kind and gentle person. She’s always so considerate of her actions, of how her size might intimidate or even scare others.” Chrom couldn’t even bring himself to consider that any of that might be faked. “Lissa and I promised to help her, and I intend to keep that promise.”

Emmeryn seemed to consider what he said for a moment before she spoke again, “... I see.”

“You should come and meet her with us, Emm,” Lissa suggested optimistically. “Chrom’s right. I was kinda scared of her at first, but she’s actually really nice!”

Frederick seemed quite against such an idea. “Milady, I don’t think–”

“Your Grace, I would not advise such a meeting,” Phila cut him off, much to everyone’s surprise. “...A-Apologies for speaking out of turn, but I do not think it wise for you to step outside the capital. Especially not to meet with a… a giant.”

“Well, I’m going to have to meet her somewhere, yes?” Emmeryn pointed out with a faint smile. “I appreciate your concern for my safety, Phila, but I imagine this woman will be in our company for quite some time, and if she has Chrom and Lissa’s trust, then she also has mine. Besides, it’s not as if I’ll be alone; you’ll be coming with us, won’t you?”

“O-Of course, Your Grace!” Phila agreed diligently.

“It may be a good idea to inform the other pegasus knights as well, at some point. I doubt Robin will be easy to miss on their aerial patrols,” Frederick noted.

“We should probably let the rest of the Shepherds know, too, right?” Lissa added.

“I agree. Although,” Emmeryn stated, “I would argue that the fewer people who know about this, the better. Aside from the Shepherds, the pegasus knights, and the members of the royal council, no one else needs to be informed. At least for now. There might be some individuals who won’t take too kindly to this… situation.”

“And the last thing we want is Plegia catching wind of this...” Chrom muttered.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Robin was waiting patiently for her friends to return. Although it was rather boring, just sitting in the woods. There wasn't much she could do to pass the time, aside from watching the clouds roll by or… maybe taking a nap?

That probably wasn’t the best plan, though, considering she didn’t know how long Chrom and the others would be gone. If she was still sleeping when they returned, it might be difficult for them to wake her up.

Leaned up against a tree that was probably as tall as she was, Robin might just fall asleep anyway, regardless of if she wanted to or not, simply because she had nothing better to do.

Gods, what she wouldn’t give for a book to read…

Just as sleep was about to take ahold of her, a faint yet familiar voice reached Robin’s ears.

“Robin? We’re back!” Chrom called out.

Equal parts happy and relieved, Robin sat up and looked to see where they were. Standing roughly a hundred yards away, she could make out the blue-haired lord walking alongside Lissa and Frederick. But she was surprised to see two other people accompanying them.

The first was a woman with sky-blue hair tied back into a neat bun. She wore light armor that was mostly rose gold and blue in color, and the way she carried herself was notably similar to Frederick in demeanor.

The second was also a woman, and she looked to be around the same age as the first one. She wore robes of light green, white, and gold, and a golden headpiece that was almost halo-esque. But the feature that caught Robin’s attention the most was her striking resemblance to Lissa.

That, along with the air of elegance that the woman possessed, was all the proof Robin needed to know that this was the older sister Chrom and Lissa had mentioned earlier; Exalt Emmeryn, the ruler of Ylisse.

 

* * *

 

“Gods, you weren’t kidding…” Phila murmured under her breath as she gazed upon the giant woman seated several yards ahead of them. It was one thing to be _told_ of Robin’s towering height. It was another to actually see it in person.

Outwardly, both she and Emmeryn appeared rather calm, given the circumstances. But only outwardly.

“You looked about ready to fall asleep!” Lissa called over to Robin, smiling. “We didn’t take _that_ long, did we?” The young princess remarked jokingly. The five of them continued walking closer until they were just out of arm’s reach. To Robin’s arms, that is; it was probably about ten times a normal arm’s reach.

“N-No! Sorry, I was– well, I didn’t really have anything else to do while I was waiting, s-so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to rest a little,” Robin explained herself sheepishly. She could feel her cheeks starting to get warm with embarrassment.  

The Exalt was here, no doubt to meet with her, and she’d almost gone and dozed off in the middle of the forest. Maybe she was overreacting a bit, but Robin felt like such a thing was rather improper when being introduced to royalty.

“Robin, this is my sister, Emmeryn,” Chrom spoke up. He then gestured to the azure-haired woman standing beside his older sister, “And this is her guardian, Phila. She’s also the captain of Ylisse’s Pegasus Knights.”

“I-It’s nice to meet both of you,” Robin stammered a bit awkwardly, bowing her head in a respectful manner. Moving anymore than that seemed like it might not be the best idea. No matter how calm the two women appeared to be, Robin knew better than to assume that meant they weren’t at least a little nervous about being around her.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Robin,” Emmeryn acknowledged with a kind smile. She could see now, what her brother and sister had been telling her earlier. This woman exuded a certain… aura unlike anyone she’d ever met.

Phila simply nodded in agreement to Emmeryn’s statement, almost as if she didn’t trust herself to speak just yet.

“I, um, I suppose Chrom as already told you of my… circumstances?” Robin checked.

“He has. He also mentioned the promise he and Lissa made you,” the Exalt answered, “and while there isn’t much I can do personally, I’d like to offer you my aid as well. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”

Surprise lit up Robin’s stormy gray eyes as she registered what was just said. “T-Thank you, milady! That… That means a lot,” she stated gratefully.

Emmeryn’s smile widened. “Although I do have to warn you, you may be getting quite a few more visitors in the near future.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to A_nervous_fan for suggesting this scene ;p
> 
> ok so I just finished writing this a few minutes ago and I didn't really proof-read it a whole lot and it's 1 AM but here we are. i'mamesspleasesendhelp  
> So, obviously there's quite a bit of a time jump between this chapter and the last one, and I may or may not go back and actually write some of the scenes I skipped, but it really just depends on whether or not I can find the inspiration. ;w;  
> Also I feel like I should probably let you all in on a little secret; I haaaattteeee writing fight scenes. So, uh, don't be surprised when I try my damnedest to skip those. x'D  
> Anyway, once again feel free to leave suggestions down in the comments. I've got plenty of little ideas floating around in my head, but I'd love to hear yours, too. If I think I can write it I'll certainly try!
> 
> (Also feel free to point out any typos you spot)


	4. Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A series of shorts focused on Robin spending time with some of the Shepherds._   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few somewhat-silly ideas I came up with that weren't long enough to warrant their own individual chapters. :p
> 
> Featuring:  
> I. Science™  
> II. Book Buddies  
> III. _"Chrom and Robin have attained support level B"_

Robin laid on her back, trying to remain as still as possible. Her muscles ached with a longing for activity, but she did her best to ignore it. It felt like hours had passed.

In reality, it probably hadn’t been nearly that long; maybe thirty minutes at most.  

But this was quite worse than back when she was waiting for Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick to return from the castle. At least then she’d been free to stretch her limbs or change positions.

Well, on the bright side, she did have someone to keep her company this time around. Not only would doing this alone be impossible, it would also be downright miserable.

“Thank you again for doing this, Miriel,” The white-haired young woman stated gratefully. She had to fight the urge to turn her head in the mage’s direction when she spoke.

“No thanks necessary. It would be reprehensible of me to let such an opportunity go undocumented,” Miriel replied. She sounded close to Robin’s left shoulder.

“How many are you at now?”

“Forty-two feet.”

With one yardstick and a plentiful amount of determination, Miriel had taken it upon herself to measure out Robin’s exact height. Given the woman’s affinity for all things scientific, Robin supposed it was only natural for her to want to satisfy such a curiosity; she had to admit she was quite curious herself. And perhaps such information would be useful later on down the road. Somehow.

Miriel carved a deep groove in the ground at the forty-two mark before moving her measuring tool up to mark off the next three feet. This process continued four more times before the scholarly mage spoke again.

“Final measurement; approximately fifty-six feet and two inches,” She reported before adjusting her glasses.

“Wow,” Robin breathed. “It’s okay for me to sit up now, right?”

When Miriel gave a simple nod, Robin sighed with relief, slowly but eagerly pulling herself up to a seated position. After that, she stretched her arms high above her head, stiff joints making a satisfying popping sound in return. Miriel had to back up a few paces so that she didn’t have to crane her neck as much to maintain eye contact.  

“I don’t suppose you have any recollection of your previous height before this… anomaly?” Miriel wondered, turning her attention to the journal in her hands.

“I… hmm. I can’t remember any specific numbers,” Robin noted, “but if I had to guess, I’d say I was probably about average height?”

“Unfortunate. A simple generalization will have to do for now, I suppose...” The redhead murmured thoughtfully as she scribbled something down. “When we discover the solution to returning you to your former size, I would ask that you allow me to record your height once more.”

Robin knew that Miriel was simply stating a fact more than anything else, but the underlying optimism of her statement made the younger woman smile nonetheless. _When_ they discovered a solution; not _if_.

“If you’d like, I should also be able to devise a formula for calculating an approximation of your current mass,” Miriel offered.

Robin’s smile immediately faded. “T-That won’t be necessary…”

 

* * *

 

“That’s quite a lot of books you’ve got there, Sumia. You don’t plan on reading all of them, do you?” Robin observed with a lighthearted chuckle.

“Oh, no, I just wanted to make sure we had lots of different options to choose from, since I didn’t really know what sort of genre you liked.” The young brunette explained herself, setting her large stack of novels on the ground with a bit of a grunt.

It was right around noon when the two of them met in Robin’s makeshift “camp” out in the woods behind the palace. After learning of Robin’s love for reading, and already knowing that Sumia was quite the avid reader herself, Chrom had suggested that it might be a good way for the two girls to bond over a shared interest.

Sumia had practically leaped at the opportunity to share her hobby with another person, and without any books that were suited to Robin’s stature, the only way she could actually enjoy them would be if she had someone to read them out loud to her.

“I’m not too picky when it comes to the types of books I read. If you think they’re good then I’ll probably like them as well,” Robin noted happily.

“Perfect! Ooh, how about this one?” Sumia suggested, holding up the first book on the pile despite the fact that Robin couldn’t really make out the cover. “It’s a real page-turner; _Shanty Pete and the Haunted Pirates!_ ”

“That does sound exciting,” Robin agreed. “If you want to, I could take my cloak off and fold it up so you have a comfortable place to sit,” she offered.

“Oh, drat! I knew I was forgetting something,” Sumia lamented. “I was going to bring a blanket with me, but I guess I got distracted carrying all those books. You’re cloak should work just fine, though!”

After a few minutes of the two of them getting settled and comfortable, Sumia began her narration of the first novel. She stumbled over her words every once in a while, but overall she was quite a good story-teller. Robin hung onto her every word, eager to hear what would happen next as she laid propped up on her elbows.   

The pair stayed like that for several hours, taking a few small breaks in between, until the sun began to dip below the horizon. In that time, they’d managed to get through most of the novel, but both of them knew that Sumia couldn’t stay for much longer.

“I’ll have to find time to come out tomorrow and finish the last few chapters,” Sumia promised enthusiastically, saving the page and closing the book as she got to her feet.

“I’d like that a lot. I do hope I’m not messing up your schedule, though. Don’t feel like you _have_ to come out here and spend time with me.”

“Not at all! This was so much fun, Robin! I’m not usually very busy anyway, and this is normally the time I’d spend reading alo–!” Sumia was cut off as her foot caught on one of the folds in Robin’s cloak, sending the brunette sprawling face-first into the fabric.

“Oh gosh, Sumia, are you okay?” Robin checked as she started reaching down to help Sumia up. She froze, though, her hand hovering a few feet away from the pegasus knight.

“I’m fine! Sorry about that, I’m such a klutz!” Sumia berated herself, sitting up.

“You don’t have to apologize; accidents happen,” Robin soothed. “Here, can I… is it alright if I help you up?”

“Yes, please. Thank you,” Sumia smiled, nodding as she spoke. With that affirmation, Robin held her finger out to Sumia, who used it to help pull herself back up to her feet.

Even after several days spent with the Shepherds, Robin still wasn't used to physical contact with people who were so much smaller than she was. The sensation was familiar, yet also foreign at the same time. And definitely strange.

“If you want, I could keep some of those books here with me, so you don’t have to carry them all back tonight.” She offered.

“That’d be nice. Thank you again,” Sumia accepted.  

“See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow!”

 

* * *

 

As Chrom made his way down into the woods to Robin’s little hideaway, the afternoon sun shined brightly, without a single cloud in the sky. It was quite hot out, but not unbearably so.

The news that the Ylissean prince had to share with his large friend was… Well, it wasn’t exactly good or bad news, per se, Chrom just didn’t know how Robin would take it.

He was rather surprised, though, when he got to the spot where he’d usually find her hanging around; the clearing with the hollowed log and a few wooden stools sitting in the shade of some of the nearby trees.

It had been Lissa’s idea to bring some of the old, worn-down chairs from the garrison out here, so that people would have a somewhat decent place to sit whenever they came to visit Robin. Even though Sumia, Chrom, and Lissa were the only ones who visited her regularly.

What was surprising was the fact that Robin wasn’t there when he’d arrived.

The clearing was empty, with no white-haired giants close by. Not that it would be too terribly difficult for Chrom to find her. Almost immediately, he noticed a fresh set of huge footprints leading off deeper into the woods.

Perhaps she’d gotten bored and decided to go exploring?

If Chrom remembered correctly, the trees went on for miles upon miles in that directions. Which meant that, luckily, there shouldn’t have been any villages that way for at least a few days of travel. Robin would see them long before she stumbled upon them, anyway, but he doubted she would head that far.

For a brief moment, Chrom wondered if he should go look for her, or if he should just wait for her to come back.

Thinking on it, though, Chrom wasn’t exactly the type of person to just stand around waiting, and it was probably better that he tell Robin about what was happening sooner rather than later.

With that decided, the young lord followed after the trail of large boot-shaped indents in the ground. As the forest became more densely-packed, Chrom was rather amused as he absentmindedly noted the way Robin’s footprints snaked their way around the trees. He could imagine her trying to skirt passed each one with utmost care, no matter how slow or tedious it might be.

Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, the trees and dirt cleared away to gravel and sand, revealing a lake. Chrom didn’t even know that there was such a large body of water out here.

It was a rather breathtaking sight to behold; the water was a deep shade of blue, almost crystal-clear, and the way the afternoon sun shined down on it was beautiful.

As Chrom took in the wonderful scenery before him, his eyes eventually landed on a gigantic pair of boots sitting at the water’s edge a couple yards away. Robin's cloak sat folded neatly on top of them, safe from the waves that were gently lapping against the shore.

It took Chrom a moment to realize that, on a day like today, the water should have been peacefully still. While there was an occasional light breeze every now and again, the wind was nowhere near strong enough to push at the lake’s surface.

Out of curiosity, he walked closer to Robin’s boots and cloak. On the other side of them, which had previously been blocked from his view, Chrom found the rest of Robin’s clothing.

All of her clothing.

Laying sprawled out in the sunlight across the rocks, drying but still visibly damp.

It took him an even longer moment to realize why that was; longer than it probably should have. Gods, he really should’ve put two and two together a lot sooner.

“Chrom? Is that you?”

Out of habit, Chrom’s immediate reaction was to turn in the direction he’d heard Robin’s voice.

That was his first mistake.

His second was when he didn’t promptly turn back around upon seeing Robin’s fully unclothed form sitting in the water, only partially submerged. Her long white hair was untied, and it cascaded freely down her back.

The two of them just stared at each other for a few long moments before Chrom’s hand quickly flew up to his face to cover his eyes, and then he finally faced away from her. His cheeks were bright red.

Robin moved with equal quickness, using her arms to cover her chest as she sank deeper into the lake. However, her sudden movements displaced a larger amount of water than she had accounted for, sending a pretty big wave Chrom’s way.

Since he was turned away and couldn’t see it coming, the sudden force of water nearly pushed Chrom off his feet, and he was effectively drenched.

“Oh, Chrom! I’m sorry! Are you alright?” Robin apologized.

“I-I’m fine!” He called over his shoulder, still covering his face. “I’m the one who should be apologizing, anyway.”

“No, no, you don’t have to! I was– I mean, you couldn’t have known–” she stammered sheepishly.

“Here, uh, I’ll go… over there,” he pointed to the treeline, “if you want to get dressed.”

Several awkward minutes passed in silence as Robin carefully but quickly clambered out of the water and pulled her clothing back on. They were still quite a bit damp, but she was far too embarrassed to care. She draped her cloak over one shoulder and tied her hair back into one messy ponytail instead of the usual pigtails. She also didn’t bother slipping her boots on, especially with her feet caked in sand.

In the meantime, Chrom stood waiting under one of the nearby trees, repeatedly scolding himself under his breath. He was just as embarrassed as Robin, if not more so. While Robin was right, in that there was no way he couldn’t known she was out here _bathing_ , he still felt like this whole uncomfortable situation was his fault. He really should’ve known better…

“O-Okay, Chrom. I’m, um, I’m ready,” Robin spoke up once she was done getting dressed. She was squatting with her hands resting on her knees. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you, but… what brings you out here?” She asked curiously after he turned to face her again.

Oh. Right. In all the commotion, he’d nearly forgotten.

“Well, you see, some of the other Shepherds and I are going to be traveling up north to Regna Ferox tomorrow morning, and I thought I should come let you know before we head out,” he explained. “They’re a nation of warriors; the Council wants to try forming an alliance with them to help with all the recent… issues we’ve been facing. Normally the exalt would request such aid in person, but Emmeryn’s concerned that the people might start to worry if she suddenly left the capital.”

“That makes sense. I wish you all the best of luck,” She replied with a smile. Although Chrom could tell it was at least somewhat forced.

“It shouldn’t take us more than a few days, but the thing is… Lissa insisted that she absolutely _had_ to come along, and I think Sumia could really use some experience in the field, so…” The lordling trailed off.

“So I’ll be all by my lonesome for those few days?” Robin finished for him quizzically.

“I could ask some of the others to come and visit, if you want?” He offered.

“Only if they have time. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone,” she insisted. “I can tell you’ve got something else on your mind, though.”

Chrom sighed, but he was smiling nonetheless, “Right, I should’ve known I couldn’t get anything passed you... If we do manage to secure this alliance, more likely than not we’ll have to tell the ruler of Regna Ferox about you. I just worry for your safety, that’s all.”

“Well, if you want to ally yourselves with another nation, you can’t exactly keep secrets from them,” Robin pointed out. “Especially such a _big_ secret,” she joked.

Chrom’s smile grew wider. “Hilarious. But you’re right.”

“Do you think I’ll get to meet the ruler of _another_ nation?”

“Perhaps. And maybe next time you won't fall asleep," he teased. 


	5. In the Meantime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which Robin is very, very bored. Or rather, was._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the first half of this chapter is a little on the boring side. There was a bit of expositional stuff I wanted to get out of the way, but I tried not to drag it out too much :'3

The morning that Chrom and the others left for Regna Ferox, they stopped by Robin’s camp as they made their way northward.

Lissa and Sumia had both wanted to tell Robin good-bye before the traveling party left, and since it was at least somewhat in the direction they were headed, Chrom didn’t object. And of course, it wouldn’t be fair if he was the only one that Robin got to speak with before they departed.

That had been about four days ago.

Only two members of the Shepherds stayed back in Ylisstol; Maribelle and Ricken. And unfortunately for Robin, both were too busy with their own personal affairs to come visit her. Although, frankly, Robin didn’t think either of those two were likely to stop by even if they did have time.

Not long after meeting with Lady Emmeryn, Robin had been introduced to each and every Shepherd, courtesy of Chrom and Lissa. She already knew Frederick, Sully, and Virion, but there were still seven other individuals she had yet to meet at that point.

They were quite an… interesting group, to say the least.

Vaike had been the loudest of the bunch, and certainly the most vocal. The blond barbarian had even tried challenging her to a sparring match. While Robin applauded his tenacity, she’d politely declined on the grounds that she had absolutely _no clue_ how that would even work.

On the opposite end of that spectrum was Kellam, who was so quiet and lacking in presence that Robin almost didn’t realize he was there. If not for her keen awareness of her surroundings and her caution around other people, she probably never would’ve seen him. Which was strange, given that bulky mass of armor he wore.

Stahl was pretty much a perfect middle ground between those two; not as outspoken as Vaike, but also not as near-invisible as Kellam. It was almost scary just how average he seemed, but Robin thought he seemed like a really sweet and laid-back guy, too.

Next was Miriel. The redheaded mage practically rivaled Frederick for the position of least laid-back member of the Shepherds in Robin’s book. But while Frederick had more of a stern and strict nature, Miriel’s was more professional and scholarly.

And then there was Sumia. Right away, Robin knew that she wanted to be friends with the young pegasus knight. That desire for friendship only grew when she found out that the two of them shared a love for reading.  

Even if Sumia, Chrom, and Lissa were the only ones who came to visit her on a regular basis, almost all the other Shepherds had come to see her at least once since the day Robin had been introduced to the rest of them. Even Frederick had accompanied Lissa one day.

However, there were two exceptions.

And they were the same two who weren’t traveling to Regna Ferox with the others; Maribelle and Ricken.

According to Sumia, Maribelle warmed to new people slowly. Or burned too quickly, according to Lissa. That was certainly the impression Robin had gotten from the young noblewoman, who carried herself with the pride and dignity that was typical for one of high social standing. She’d kept her introduction brief; as short as possible without coming off as rude. Robin could tell right away that, much like Frederick, Maribelle did not trust her at all.  

The situation with Ricken was quite different.

The way he’d introduced himself was… normal, as far as Robin could tell. He’d been genuinely polite, not in a forced way like Maribelle. But there were two things about him that caught Robin’s attention.

The first was that he was easily one of the shortest members of the Shepherds; it looked like he was even shorter than Lissa, if only a little bit.

The second was that he also appeared to be the youngest.

Just judging from the way he spoke and carried himself, Robin had a feeling that he was quite conscientious about his height. A trait the two of them had in common, though for very opposite reasons.

If she had to guess, being around her probably only served to remind Ricken of just how small he was. Maybe it even made him feel smaller.

Honestly, Robin couldn’t really blame either of them for wanting to keep their distance from her. Really, she was more surprised by how positively the others reacted.

However, it certainly didn’t make these past few days any easier for her.

The only company she’d really had, if one could even call it that, were the pegasus knights that would occasionally fly by on their patrols. Most of them ignored her completely, aside from making sure she wasn’t causing any trouble.

There was one rider that was kind enough to acknowledge her, at least, and even chat with her for a few minutes before getting back to work. It was one of Sumia’s friends; a redhead named Cordelia. They never really talked for long, but Robin hoped that they could be friends as well.

All and all, things were rather boring.

Robin suppose it could’ve been worse, but Gods, she just wished she had something to do.

These were the thoughts that occupied her mind as she lay there on the ground, using her cloak as a pillow while she stared up at the sky. Though it was partially blocked by the trees, Robin could just make out the stars sprinkling the late evening sky. The sun had dipped all the way below the horizon not too long ago, but there was still a decent amount of light poking through.

Stargazing was always nice, but she might just go to bed early tonight, with nothing better to do…

 

* * *

 

Robin woke with a start at the feeling of something bumping into her bare arm. A soft, metallic _clink_ followed soon after.

The sky had grown considerably darker, though the stars and moon did their best to make up for the lack of sunlight.

Whatever had run into her must’ve been moving pretty fast to have hit her hard enough to wake her. A quick process of elimination ruled out an animal as a possibility; any beast active at this hour would’ve easily known she was there and moved out of the way. Not only that, but that metal sound… she was pretty sure she hadn’t imagined it.

“Hello...?” Robin called out softly. She stayed as still as possible, keeping her ears open for even the slightest noise.

“W-Who’sere?!” A young male voice responded. Around Lissa and Ricken’s age from the sound of it. “I-I’m armed, ya hear? So you’d best show yerself, o-or else!” He warned. Sounded like he was scared out of his mind, too…

With the darkness surrounding them, he must not have realized she was already well within his line of sight. That was probably a good thing for now. If he was already this afraid, Robin hated to imagine how he would react to her. It might be in her best interest to wait for him to calm down a little before revealing herself.

“It’s alright, I don’t mean any harm,” she assured him, her tone still gentle and quiet. Ever so slightly, she turned her head in his direction. Under the faint glow of the moon, Robin could just make out the trembling form of a person standing beside her right arm. Something metal glistened atop his head. A helmet perhaps? “Are you lost?”

He had to be. Even if this young man wasn’t nearly as young as he sounded, Robin couldn’t think of any other reason for someone to be alone in the middle of a forest this late at night.

Well, someone who wasn’t over fifty feet tall, that is.

“I-I guess you could say that. Long way from home now, I reckon,” the boy answered.

“Well, I don’t really know the area outside of these woods very well, but I could try and help you find your way back, if you want?” Robin offered.

“That’s not really the kinda help I’m needing, but thank you kindly,” he declined. “Name’s Donny, by the way. Er, Donnel, that is.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Donnel. My name’s Robin.”

“I’d say the same Miss Robin, but… well, I still can’t exactly see ya. Think you could come out from wherever yer hidin’ now?”

“Actually, I’m… not exactly hiding,” she stated a bit sheepishly. “Don’t be afraid, okay? Remember, I won’t hurt you.”

Before Donnel could ask what she meant, Robin slowly started sitting up.

One could only imagine the boy’s surprise when what he’d thought was a fallen tree practically came to life in front of him. He was speechless and awestruck as his brown eyes met Robin’s gray ones.

And that was the last thing he saw before passing out.

He passed out.

_Oh Gods he actually passed out._

Without thinking of the potential consequences, Robin’s hands quickly shot forward to catch him before his body hit the ground. The rusted bronze lance he’d been holding quietly clattered against the earth, though, forgotten for the time being.

Donnel laid there, limp and unmoving in her cupped palms.

_OhGodsohGodsohGods–_

“No. No no no. Stay calm, Robin. Don’t panic,” the young woman scolded herself quietly.

She took a deep breath.

Using more caution than she ever had before, Robin carefully shifted the boy over to one hand, and raised him up to get a better look at him. The darkness wasn’t doing much to help her in that regard, but at the very least she could tell he was still breathing normally. And what she'd thought was a helmet before was actually some kind of cooking pot. Best not to dwell on that, though.

With the pinky finger of her free hand, she gently nudged at his shoulder.

On the bright side… debatably… Donnel started to stir soon after.

He sat up in her palm, though he seemed somewhat dazed.

“Donny? A-Are you okay?” She checked. “Sorry if I scared you.” Of course she’d scared him. What in Naga’s name did she expect?

“Y-You’re… by golly, you’re actually real!” he murmured, still clearly quite awestruck. “Thought I mighta started seein’ things after I hit my head…”

“Are you okay, though?” Robin repeated.

“Never better, actually,” he replied. “You might be just the help I was lookin’ for!”

“I… what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nyhehehe, the plot thickens! >:3c  
> I know I'm having the whole Donnel paralogue happen a little earlier than it actually does in-game, and in arguably the wrong location, but y'know what? This is fanfiction, and I do what I want! :p
> 
> And don't worry, the next chapter should be out pretty soon, barring any crazy schedule shenanigans.


	6. Solo Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which things don't go entirely as planned._

“Please, Miss Robin, you gotta help me! I’m beggin’ ya!” Donnel pleaded. He was practically groveling as he sat there in her hand.

“Help you how exactly?” Robin wondered, feeling a bit nervous.

“It’s my village; bandits came n’ attacked us! They rounded us up like cattle then carted us all the way out here. Mentioned somethin’ about the Plegian border, I think. I-I managed to give ‘em the slip after they set up camp, but everyone else, including my ma…” He explained, his voice starting to quaver. “If… If no one stops ‘em, I don’t even wanna think about what’ll happen.”  

Unfortunately, Robin couldn’t stop herself from thinking about it.

An entire village of people, kidnapped by bandits; at best, they’d be auctioned off as slaves, and at worst…

She didn’t let herself finish that thought.

“The… The camp is pretty close by, right?” She checked.

“Yeah, I reckon it is. I couldn’t’ve run very far ‘fore I bumped into you.”

Robin hardly believed she was even _considering_ this.

Sure, saving a bunch of villagers from bandits would probably be a piece of cake for her, but exposing herself to so many new people could prove disastrous. She might end up making the whole situation worse.

But if she didn’t save the rest of Donnel’s village, who would?

It’d take him a while to get into the capital, and then at this late hour there weren’t many people awake, let alone ready to mobilize and take out a camp full of bandits.

And there was no telling how long it would take Donnel to gather up enough forces. Not only that, but then he would have to lead them all the way back to the camp, assuming it was still there.

By then, it might be too late.

Or...

Robin could help him. Right now.

Doing nothing wasn’t an option. Robin wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she left those innocent people to the mercy of a band of ruffians.

So to her, the choice was obvious.

 

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for Donnel to lead Robin to the outskirts of the camp. She’d carried him the whole way there, which had been a bit awkward for both of them, but the alternative was far too risky.

In the dark of the night, there was no way Robin could safely follow Donnel through the woods on foot. It would be hard to see him for one, and for another she might accidentally step on him because of that.

The thought alone was enough to make her sick to her stomach.

There wasn’t really much leading necessary, though. From both their vantage points, Robin and Donnel could easily spot the flickering glow of a fire in the distance.

Robin moved with extra care, not only to remain as quiet as possible, but also to make sure she didn’t jostle Donnel around in her hand too much.

They were able to find a good lookout spot without getting too close, with a near-perfect view of the camp. There were only two tents pitched; one notably larger than the other.

Several men were sleeping on the ground around the fire. Two were keeping watch with torches in hand, each on opposite ends of the camp. Two more stood guard outside the bigger tent, which made sense since, according to Donnel, that was where the villagers were being held. The smaller tent was likely where the leader was staying.

Donnel also informed her that a smaller group of bandits had split off from the main one to take the horses and wagons the long way around, to the other side of the woods. Getting horse-drawn carts through all the trees and undergrowth would’ve been much too difficult, so that also made sense.

Of the people she could see, Robin counted a dozen.

In all likelihood, she might not even have to fight any of them. They’d all probably run screaming as soon as they saw her. A fact that, while comforting in some aspects, was rather disheartening in others.

“Alright, Donnel. Here’s the plan,” Robin whispered, “I’m going to go in there and try to scare them off. Once things start getting hectic, I need you to sneak into the tent where the other villagers are being held, and explain to them what’s happening. Just… keep it simple, don’t give them too many details. Think you can do that?”

“Sounds good to me!” He whispered back. After that, Robin quietly sank to her knees and set Donnel down on the ground.

“Be careful, okay?”

“You’d best do the same.”

She nodded, taking a deep breathe as she rose back up to her full height.

_Let’s just hope I can be a good actress…_

 

* * *

 

With a near-thundering crash, Robin let her boot slam into the ground right at the perimeter of the bandit’s camp.

Even the fire shook from the vibrations, and the men sleeping around it were quick to wake from the sound. The two lookouts nearly dropped their torches as they both flinched in surprise.

In a matter of seconds, the entire camp was awake and alert. Robin could see a few people scrambling for their weapons, while others were frantically looking around and trying to figuring out what was going on. A large, surly-looking man stepped out from the smaller tent, looking just as confused as the rest of them; their leader, no doubt.

It took even less time for her to be spotted.

Despite the darkness, Robin’s towering humanoid form could stood out in stark contrast to the silhouettes of the trees.

There was a brief moment of silence, with only the gentle, ambient sounds of the surrounding forest, as each and every one of the dozen or so bandits just stared in disbelief.

Robin took another deep breath.

And then that silence was shattered.

“If you _insects_ know what’s good for you, you’ll leave these woods now, lest I end your miserable lives!” She practically bellowed. A small part of her hoped that she wasn’t all that convincing.

Even though these people were awful, and they’d done terrible things, it still felt… _wrong_ talking like that.

Shaken from his dazed state, the bandits’ leader started barking orders to the other men. “Round up the lil’ pigs and let’s get goin’.”

At first, she didn’t know what he meant by that until a few men started making their way over to the larger tent with weapons drawn. He’d been referring to the villagers.

“If you don’t leave _right now_ , you won’t be leaving at all,” she threatened, causing them to stop in their tracks. “I’m running out of patience.”

To emphasize her point, she took another loud step forward.

For a long moment, the bandits’ leader seemed… conflicted. Even in the darkness, Robin could just make out the frustrated look on his face.

Leave their prize… Or risk their lives.

Finally, he opened his mouth to shout another command when–

“L-Let go a’ me, ya’ mangy no good–”

Robin’s heart stopped.

That was _Donnel’s_ voice.

“Oi, Roddick, I found this brat poking ‘round the pig pen!” A well-muscled brute of a man announced, holding up Donnel by the back of his shirt. “Ain’t this the same little shit who got away earlier?”

“I’ll be damned…” Roddick mumbled, almost sounding amused more than anything else. He glanced back over to Robin, and then returned his gaze to the young farmhand squirming in his lackey’s grasp. “Huh, seems a little too convenient that you n’ that huge bitch over there’d show up at the same time. ‘Less of course… She’s here to help you play hero, isn’t she?”

“I-I-I don’t know what yer t-talkin’ about! I ain’t ever seen her before!” Donnel stammered defiantly. Robin could tell he was trying his best to be brave.

“Let him go,” she demanded. “Let all of those villagers go, or else I’ll–”

“You’ll what?” Roddick countered, sounding far more confident than he had been just moments before. Not waiting for her to answer, he strode over toward Donnel, pulling out the axe around his belt. “You gave us your threat, now here’s mine; we leave these woods, _with_ our captives, and you’ll let us. Or…”

It appeared as though the grunt holding Donnel already knew what his boss was planning. With his free hand, he grabbed Donnel by the chin, forcing the boy's head upward.

Roddick rested the blade of his axe against Donnel’s now-exposed neck, “...I slit this brat’s throat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woops, I appear to have created another cliffhanger. :p
> 
> This little escapade is turning out longer than I thought it would, but I'm determined to ride this idea as far as it'll take me!
> 
> Also I could've sworn that bandit leader's name was, like, Rodrick, but apparently according to the wiki it's Roddick. No R's in between.  
> Okay, Fire Emblem. Okay.


	7. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which things REALLY don't go as planned._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Finally got around to finishing this chapter!  
> Sorry about the longer-than-usual wait, everyone; I just moved back into my dorm a week ago, and college has been a real pain in the ass. x'D
> 
> On the plus side, this chapter's the longest one I've written so far, so hopefully that kinda makes up for it? A little bit? 
> 
> I'd say expect new chapters every two weeks or so, but I'll try and get them out as quick as I can!

She’d messed up.

Too overconfident in her own level of intimidation, Robin was now forced to choose between Donnel’s life, and the lives of his fellow villagers.

Or so she thought.

“How do I know you won’t just kill him anyway?” She argued, trying to remain calm.

“I s’pose you don’t,” Roddick remarked. More than anything, Robin wanted to wipe the smug look off of his face.

“D-Don’t listen to ‘im! He’s a filthy, good-fer-nothin’ liar is what he–” Donnel exclaimed, only for Roddick to punch him in the gut, effectively silencing the poor boy. It took every ounce of willpower Robin had not to react to that. She stayed perfectly still.

For now.

“You’ll shut yer mouth if you know what’s good for ya’,” Roddick growled. He pressed his axe blade harder against Donnel’s neck and a few drops of blood trickled out, running down his collarbone. Donnel had to suppress the urge to cough in response to the punch, fearing that the movement would cause the axe to sink deeper into his skin.

“So whaddya say, lass?” The bandit leader chuckled as he turned his attention back to Robin.

Before she could even think of a response, something unexpected happened.

With Roddick’s gaze now focused away from him, Donnel seized the opportunity to fight back as best as he could. Using both legs, the young farmhand kicked forward with all his might and drove his feet into Roddick’s abdomen.

Sadly, all his might wasn’t very much, but given the fact that Roddick hadn’t been expecting anything like that, the hit was enough to make the surly man stumbled back two or three steps.  

“Why you little–” Roddick started, though he was actually pretty dumbstruck by Donnel’s little stunt. He would’ve been able to finished that statement, if not for what happened next.

It took Robin less than a second to process what had just happened.

For the first time in… _ever_ , Robin moved with almost no regard for the people around her. She shot forward, as fast as she could.

One might’ve thought that someone Robin’s size would be hindered when it came to speed, but that wasn’t the case.

She moved _fast_. Just as fast as any normal-sized human, only she could cover far, far more ground in the same amount of time. Such a feat seemed almost impossible, and yet there she went.

Once she was close enough, Robin swatted Roddick like a bug, backhanding the man away from Donnel and the grunt that was holding him.

He practically flew several feet before tumbling and skidding across the forest floor, finally coming to a stop when he slammed right into the trunk of a nearby tree.

In her frenzy to get Donnel out of harm’s way, Robin didn’t notice that Roddick was lying motionless on the ground.

Completely unmoving, one of his arms was bent at a weird angle, and something about the way his head was turned to the side didn’t look quite right. _She_ wasn’t paying attention to those particular details, but everyone else in the camp certainly was.

The dozen or so other bandits could only stare in abject horror as they saw their leader easily offed by one careless blow.

In that moment, Robin’s threat to “end their miserable lives” came rushing back to them. Even if Roddick had called her bluff then, these men were now experiencing the true strength of what they were up against.

Robin turned to the man holding Donnel by the back of his shirt. “Let him go. _Now_ ,” she practically growled at him. After having just watched this woman end the strongest fighter this group of ruffians had to offer, he complied and let Donnel squirm free of his grasp.

And then? The man swiveled around and ran for it, and the rest of his comrades followed soon after. If you could even call them comrades.

Robin could tell just by looking that these weren’t the type of men to lay down their lives for each other. This was not a group founded on loyalty or trust; it was build upon fear and greed.

They all scattered, fleeing deeper into the woods, every man for himself.

As Robin watched them leave, a sharp pain seared through her right eye.

Instinctively, it snapped shut and her hand moved to shield it for any further harm. With her good eye, she saw one man standing farther back than where the rest had been. He was just now turning to run, slinging a bow over his shoulder as he did so.

A bow.

He’d shot her with an arrow.

Not only that, he’d managed to hit her square in the eye.  She might’ve been impressed if he hadn’t, y’know, _shot her_.

Despite the pain in her eye, Robin didn’t really care enough to follow after him. All she cared about was making sure Donnel and the other villagers were safe. She took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline work its way out of her system before slowly sinking down to her knees.

Donnel was just… standing right where the bandit had left him, eyes focused on Roddick’s limp form.

“Donny…? Are you alright?” She asked him in a soft tone.

“H-Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, I’m fine. Just got this little cut on my neck. Might get a pretty bad bruise here,” he pointed to his stomach, “in the mornin’, but ‘sides that I reckon I’m okay.”

“That’s… That’s good.”

“What about you?”

“I… I think I’m okay, too,” Robin stated, taking another deep breath. “One of those jerks actually managed to shoot an arrow in my eye, though, I think.”

“In yer eye? Golly, that can’t be good at all!”

“It just stings a little. I can… I have a friend who’s a healer; I can get her to take a look at it later.”

“Speakin’ of later… Whaddya reckon we should do now?”

“You can tell the others that the bandits are gone, but… it might be best if you all spend the night here. Some of Ylisse’s pegasus knights will pass by on their morning patrols, and they can probably get some soldiers to help escort you back to your village,” Robin explained to him.

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Donnel agreed. He stood there a little while longer, though, before speaking again. “I… I can’t thank ya’ enough, Miss Robin. Though I gotta admit, you can be, uh, mighty intimidatin’ when you wanna be. I’m glad yer one of the good guys.”

And with that, the young farmhand disappeared inside the larger tent, leaving Robin to sit alone and ponder his words.

 _One of the good guys, huh...?_ She mused as her gaze fell upon Roddick’s body lying beside the tree. Only then did she realize the state she’d left him in.

With one unrestrained blow, one thoughtless action, she had ended a man’s life. Snuffed it out like it was nothing.

Why did she feel so guilty about that, though?

Roddick wasn’t a good man by any means. He had threatened to kill an innocent boy. He and his men had kidnapped an entire village of people to sell them like property. This couldn’t have been their first time doing a job like this, and there was no telling what other kinds of atrocities he’d committed.

And yet Robin couldn’t help but think… what if she’d done something like that to Chrom or Lissa? To _any_ of the Shepherds? Even if it wasn’t on purpose, what if she accidentally hurt them or… or _killed_ them because she wasn’t being careful?

Now that… that was a sobering thought.

 

* * *

 

Throughout the rest of the night, Robin stayed awake and kept watch over the camp. She’d wanted to make sure that the rest of the bandits didn’t come back, and to make sure that no other dangers came around. Not only that, but… it just didn’t feel right to her; leaving Donnel and the other villagers alone.

The young giantess did try to keep her distance from the main tent, though. Just a couple yards away, so that no one would wander out and spot her in the middle of the night.

Well, no one excluding Donnel, who knew what to look for.

He’d checked in on her once before morning came, to ask how she was doing and to inform her that everyone else was alright, for the most part. He’d told Robin a little about his mother, who’d nearly been moved to tears with how relieved she was that Donnel was safe.

And when morning finally came, so did the pegasus knights.

Or, well, _one_ pegasus knight.

A familiar redheaded woman flew alone atop her winged steed, much to Robin’s surprise. Although, all things considered, it probably shouldn’t have surprised her that Cordelia would do something like that.

From the short conversations the two of them had in the past few days, Robin definitely got the impression that Cordelia was the sort of person to do more work than she needed to.

It was a little earlier than when the pegasus knights normally did their patrols, so maybe it was possible that Cordelia had decided to go on ahead of the others. Or maybe Cordelia wasn’t even patrolling at all, just enjoying an early-morning flight on her own.

Whatever the case, this certainly made things easier for Robin. If it had been any other pegasus knight… Well, Robin was just glad that it was Cordelia.

“Robin? What are you doing all the way over here?” The young prodigy wondered as she flew her pegasus down closer to the white-haired giantess. Although, after she asked that question, Cordelia noticed the two tents pitched up close by.

“I, um, well… It’s kind of a long story,” Robin stated a bit sheepishly before explaining the situation.

She told Cordelia of how Donnel had run into her just last night, of how a group of bandits had raided his village and kidnapped its people. Of how, without knowing how long it would take Donnel to get help elsewhere, Robin took it upon herself to give him aid.

At some point throughout this explanation, Cordelia landed and dismounted close to where Robin was sitting.

“I– Their leader’s been taken care of, but the other dozen or so men that were here fled deeper into the woods.”

“And… They all saw you?”

Robin nodded. “I don’t think any of the other villagers have seen me, but it’s possible that they know someone… unusual drove off the bandits.”

Cordelia seemed to consider that for a moment before she spoke again. “I… You know I’m going to have to tell Lady Phila about this, right?”

“Yes, of course. I expected that much. I mean, I was hoping you would do that, actually. These people are going to need some sort of escort in order to return to their village, after all.”

It was Cordelia’s turn to nod as she agreed with Robin’s statement. “By the way… is there a reason you have your eye shut like that?”

“Oh. One of the, uh, the bandits sort of shot me. With an arrow.”

Cordelia blinked a few times in disbelief. “There’s… You have an arrow in your eye.”

Robin nodded again, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I was planning on getting someone to look at it after this was all said and done.”

“I believe Lady Maribelle is still down in Themis right now,” Cordelia noted. “And as far as I’m aware, Lord Chrom and the others have yet to return from Regna Ferox too, so… well, I’m sure we can find _someone_ who can patch you up.”

 

* * *

 

Robin did her best to remain hidden from view as Cordelia and a handful of other pegasus knights went about guiding the villagers out of the woods.

From where she sat, she merely watched from the cover of the trees. The other pegasus knights had brought horses and carts along with them for the villagers to use. Some of them chatted with the pegasus knights, and it looked like they were having some pleasant conversations.

It wouldn't be long until the group of them vanished from Robin’s line of sight, and while a part of her wanted to follow along behind them, another part knew that that probably wouldn’t be a very good idea.

“Robin? You still around?” A familiar voice called out. Donnel’s voice.

Now there was something that definitely shouldn’t have surprised her. It made perfect sense that he would want to see her one last time before making the journey home.

With the help of the morning sun, it wasn't hard for Robin to notice the reflective surface of the pot that Donnel wore upon his head.

“Over here,” Robin responded, just loud enough for him to hear her.  

Donnel shuffled through the undergrowth in the direction he’d heard Robin’s voice.

Only… he wasn’t alone.

An older woman stood behind him, holding his hand as he led her along. Her hair was about the same dark grayish-purple as Donnel’s, if only a bit lighter and more gray.

As her and Robin’s eyes met, Robin could just make out the surprised expression on her face. And the brief look of fear the flashed across her features before disappearing almost instantly.

“Er, Robin, this is my ma,” Donnel introduced before turning to his mother. “Ma, this is Robin. She’s the one who helped us out.”

“H-Hello,” Robin greeted with a faint smile and a hesitant wave. Donnel’s mother waved back with her free hand, though she was understandably speechless.

“I-I know you said you didn’t wanna be seen by the others, but my ma really wanted to meetcha,” Donnel explained to Robin apologetically.

“That’s… That’s alright,” she assured him. Well, assured both of them, really. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Donnel’s mother replied. “I wanted to thank you for comin’ to our aid, Robin. My son told me that you saved his life.”

Robin could feel a blush creeping up her cheeks. “I– well, I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say I saved his life, but you’re… you’re welcome,”

“You should know that this wasn’t the first time Roddick and his lot of good-for-nothings came to our village. Not too long ago, maybe a year or so, they tried pullin’ a stunt like this one,” she went on. “Back then, it was my husband, Donnel’s father, who’d stopped them. He drove ‘em off after givin’ Roddick a broken rib and a couple of other nasty wounds, but… he died not long after from the wounds Roddick had given him.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Robin apologized, speaking softer than she had before.

“Thank you, dear. I… I wanted to thank you personally, for puttin’ a stop to that horrible man. You’ve done our village a great service. Even if the others don’t know who you are, I want you to know that we all owe you a debt that can’t ever be repaid.”

Robin thought that learning that information would’ve made her feel less guilty about what she’d done to Roddick but, strangely, it hadn’t. Although, it did help her to know that, by saving Donnel’s life, she’d spared his mother even more heartache.

And as much as Robin wanted to object to those kind words, she could tell from the look in the older woman’s eyes that such an endeavor would be a fruitless one.

“Well, I’m afraid we’ll have to wrap this up soon. Don’t want the others leaving without us now, do we?” Donnel’s mother chuckled lightheartedly. “Go ahead and say your good-byes, Donny.”

“O-Okay, Ma,” Donnel complied before turning to look up at Robin once more. “Golly, I… I wish we could get to know each other a little more, but Ma’s right; we can’t go gettin’ left behind. It really was nice meetin’ ya.”

“It was nice meeting you too, Donny,” Robin agreed with a warm smile. Donnel returned it with a smile of his own, but then it faded into something a bit more pensive.

“Do ya think we’ll get to see each other again sometime?”

“I hope so.”  


	8. The Recover and the Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which pleasant conversations are had._   
> 

“The good news is I’m fairly certain that you won’t lose vision in your eye.”

“You say that like there’s bad news,” Robin remarked jokingly, keeping her voice relatively low in volume.

Emmeryn smiled. “Not exactly, but… well, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that this is my first time treating an injury like this one,” she noted.

Back in Robin’s clearing, the young giantess laid on her right side as Emmeryn examined her injured eye. When Cordelia had told her that they would find _someone_ who could treat her wound, Robin never would’ve imagined that that someone might be Lady Emmeryn herself.

For Emmeryn, what she was doing right now was certainly a… unique experience, to say the least. Kneeling down in the grass, she was about shoulder level with Robin’s eye. An eye that was about the same size as the Ylissean exalt’s head.

To see her full body almost completely reflected in that storm-colored iris was interesting, but also a little unsettling.

“I was definitely more surprised to find out that you’d trained as a healer.”

“It is quite a handy talent to have. Though I do have to admit that I am quite a bit rusty. It’s been several years since I last picked up a staff,” the exalt confessed.

“Well, I certainly can’t think of a better way to start healing a nation than by learning to heal its people first,” Robin acknowledged.

“Ah. I see Chrom has shared some of our history, then?”

It was Robin’s turn to confess. “Just a little.”

“I’m sure milord will be happy to hear of your heroic deeds once he and the other Shepherds return,” Phila piped up from where she stood beside a nearby tree. She was gently combing her fingers through her pegasus’ mane as the winged steed grazed on some grass.

Although the azure-haired woman held herself with a rather relaxed-looking posture, Robin took note of the ever-vigilant look in Phila’s gaze. However, Robin was rather surprised to notice that those piercing amber eyes were focused more on the woodlands surrounding the three of them, and not on her own massive form.

“They should be back sometime this evening, assuming they don’t run into any unexpected trouble,” Emmeryn pointed out.

“Knowing your brother, milady, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case,” Phila remarked with a faint smile; an expression that left Robin nearly shocked. Shocked, and yet at the same time happy to see a softer side of the captain of Ylisse’s pegasus knights.

Perhaps it was just because Phila didn’t think either of the others could see her. Or maybe, just maybe, with only Emmeryn and Robin present, Phila was comfortable enough to let her guard down just the tiniest little bit.

Maybe she was starting to trust the white-haired giantess.

“Alright, Robin. This might sting a little, but I need you to hold as still as possible,” Emmeryn warned.

“Alright,” Robin agreed, bracing herself.

The arrow was lodged a little less than halfway into Robin’s eye, just below the iris. To an average-sized person, an arrow like that would completely destroy the eye, without a doubt. To Robin, it was less like an arrow, in a sense, and more like a small splinter.

And from what Emmeryn could tell, it didn’t look like the arrow had embedded itself deep enough to do any real damage.

With one hand clutching her staff, the Ylissean ruler wrapped her other hand around the arrow’s shaft. In one swift and fluid movement, she yanked the arrow right out of Robin’s eye.

Robin inhaled sharply in response to the sudden pain that surged from the injury, but keeping herself from moving wasn’t really an issue. Well, aside from stopping herself from closing her right eye.

As soon as the arrow was out, Emmeryn held up her staff and began softly chanting the proper incantation.

In a matter of seconds, any pain that Robin felt vanished in an instant, like it’d never even been there in the first place; it was as if a soothing wave of energy had washed over her. The feeling was vaguely familiar, and for a moment, Robin didn’t know why. But then she remembered, back to the day Chrom and Lissa found her lying in that field. Just before she’d awoken, Robin swore she’d felt a sensation similar to this one; when Lissa had healed the wound on her abdomen.

Once Emmeryn was finished, she lowered her staff and slowly rose to her feet, brushing herself off as she did so. The clothing she was wearing now was far more simple than the elaborate style she typically wore to ceremonies and the like; a plain long-sleeved dress made of mint green fabric, with faint floral patterns stitched into the hem.

Not the type of outfit one would usually see donned by royalty, but Robin thought it suited the exalt quite well.

“Should be good as new,” Emmeryn noted happily.

Robin blinked her eyes a few times and saw that Emmeryn was right; there was no lingering pain, and her vision was perfectly fine.

And with that, the young giantess slowly moved to sit up as Emmeryn backed up a few paces.

“Thank you so much, Your Grace,” Robin stated gratefully.

“You know, just Emm is fine, if you’d like to call me that,” the exalt pointed out, still smiling in that bright and inviting way.

“O-Oh, well, um… Thank you, Emm,” Robin stammered a bit sheepishly.

This prompted a soft, lighthearted chuckle from Emmeryn. “I’ve tried telling that to Phila and Frederick more times than I can count, yet both of them still insist on using honorifics,”

“To be fair, you did say ‘if you’d like to,’ Your Grace,” Phila chimed in.

Emmeryn couldn’t help but chuckle once more. “I suppose that _is_ fair.”

“At any rate, if you’re all finished, I think it would be best if we return to the palace as soon as possible. The council will have to be gathered once Lord Chrom returns,” The azure-haired pegasus knight went on, taking on a slightly more-serious tone.

“Yes, of course,” Emmeryn agreed with her guardian. “You’ll be alright until Chrom or one of the others comes to see you, right, Robin?” She checked.

“I’ll be fine,” Robin replied with a smile. “It was kind enough of you to come out here in the first place; I’d hardly expect you to stay when you’ve got far more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Robin, please don’t speak like that,” Emm insisted. This time she spoke in a stern and almost… motherly way. “After what you did for those villagers – my people – this is the least I could do to repay you. And besides that, you’re an ally and a friend. Visiting you is just as important as any official exalt business.”

“I… Thank you again, Emmeryn,” Robin stated after a short pause. She hardly knew what else she could say in response to the exalt’s kind words.

“Now, try not to get into anymore fights with bandits, alright?” Emmeryn remarked, returning to her good-natured and smiley self.

“No promises,” Robin joked.

 

* * *

 

“Robin!” A familiar voice called from up in the sky.

Just as Emmeryn had predicted, with the late evening sun peaking about half-way out over the horizon, Chrom and the other Shepherds arrived back at the capital.

At the sound of her name, the white-haired young woman turned and saw none other than Sumia flying toward her on the back of a pegasus Robin had never seen before.

“Welcome back, Sumia!” Robin greeted, waving to her brunette friend.

With one hand still holding onto her reins, Sumia waved back. “The others are headed back to the garrison right now, but Lord Chrom sent me this way to let you know that we’re all back.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about the trip,” Robin insisted. “Perhaps starting with your new friend there?”

“Ah, right, right!” Sumia exclaimed happily. She brought her pegasus down to land in the clearing, and continued speaking after dismounting. “This is Belfire. We found her on our way up the Northroad; she was all alone and her wing was injured. She wouldn’t let anyone get near her except me.”

“Chrom did tell me you’ve got quite the way with animals,”

Sumia blushed the tiniest bit at that comment. “Yes, well, it was the strangest thing! She had all the proper gear on her, saddle and everything, but we couldn’t find a rider in sight. I can only imagine what happened to the poor girl,” she explained as she stroked her mount’s mane.

The winged horse didn’t seem to mind Robin’s presence at all, though. It’d taken both Phila’s and Cordelia’s pegasi several minutes and quite a lot of soothing from their riders to get used to being around the giant young woman.

Perhaps that just went to show the steed’s tenacity. Or perhaps Sumia was just _that_ good when it came to animals.

“We did encounter some Risen by the river, though, so… I think I have some idea of what might’ve happened…” Sumia went on, slightly somber.

“Risen?” Robin repeated, somewhat confused.

“Oh, that’s the name the council gave those strange creature’s that’ve been popping up lately,” Sumia clarified.

And with that little tidbit of information cleared up, Sumia delved into quite a long and interesting tale of all the events that had transpired on the group’s journey to Regna Ferox.

She ended her story with the recruitment of a swordsman by the name of Lon’qu, who had essentially been forced to join their party after their victory in the Feroxi arena.

“The captain will probably bring him out here to meet you tomorrow morning, I’d wager. I heard he’s got quite the aversion to women, though.”

“Wonderful,” Robin remarked with a touch of sarcasm. “Did the, uh, the Khan react favorably when Chrom told him about me?”

“I think so! I wasn’t present when they met, but we actually found out there are two Khans,” The brunette pegasus knight explained. “Lissa said they didn’t really believe him at first, but I guess that’s to be expected. Ooh, but they did agree to an alliance between Regna Ferox and Ylisse! Their warriors are so fierce-looking; I wish you could’ve been there to see them; it was like something straight out of a storyb–”

“Sumia!” A new voice interrupted her. Both girls turned to see Cordelia racing toward them on the back of her own pegasus, and the young redhead looked nearly frantic.

“Cordelia? What are you doing out here?” Sumia asked.

“Is something wrong?” Robin added.

“Lady Phila sent me out here to get you, Sumia,” Cordelia started after landing her pegasus just a few feet away from Sumia’s. “Lord Chrom needs you back at the Shepherd’s garrison immediately. They’re traveling to Themis with the Exalt in not but an hour.”

Sumia looked to Robin, and then back to her childhood friend. “Themis? But we just got back from Regna Ferox! Why on earth would–”

“It’s Lady Maribelle. King Gangrel’s taken her hostage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _dun dun dunnnnn_
> 
>  
> 
> I totally didn't make this cutesy chapter with Emmeryn and Robin for any particular reason. Nope no reason at all.


	9. Changes in the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which Robin finds unexpected help, and Chrom finds expected conflict._   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there again, everyone!  
> Soooo, college is still the usual pain in the butt, however, barring any crazy schedule changes or sudden cases of the terrible illness known as Writers' Block, I plan on posting new chapters every Sunday. (We'll see how that goes owo" )
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy this next installment!

After exchanging quick goodbyes, Sumia and Cordelia both mounted their pegasi and flew off toward the palace. There was no time for Cordelia to explain to Robin what had happened; she and Sumia had to leave immediately, after all.

This left Robin sitting alone in the clearing.

Again.

But this time she was left feeling so… helpless? No, that wasn’t the right word for it. Maybe useless, then.

She hated feeling like this; like there was nothing she could do.

Well, there was _something_ she could do. Lots of somethings. But most of them involved exposing herself to more and more new people; people who weren’t likely to take to her as kindly as the Shepherds had.

Hell, even some of the Shepherds hadn’t taken too kindly to her. One of those Shepherds was Maribelle. Maribelle, who was now being used as a ransom by Gangrel, the king of Plegia.

All Robin knew about that man were the few stories that Chrom had shared with her, and his nickname “the Mad King.” He was the reason behind most, if not all of the bandit raids on the villages and towns that bordered the halidom of Ylisse and the kingdom of Plegia.

Another thing that Robin knew was that Maribelle did not like her. That much was certain.

But Maribelle was also Lissa’s closest friend, and that was a fact that Robin couldn’t ignore.

Whatever the Mad King wanted, Robin had a strong feeling that it wasn’t something Emmeryn could give to him; not easily, anyway. But she also knew that Emmeryn wasn’t the type of person to just abandon someone or sacrifice them. Tough decisions were going to have to be made.

And even if there wasn’t anything Robin could do to help Emmeryn or Chrom, she just wished she could at least _be_ _there_ for them. But she couldn’t even do that.

She could almost vividly imagine what would happen if the ruler of an enemy kingdom saw his foes approaching with a fifty-foot giant in tow.

But perhaps…

No.

No, that was probably the stupidest idea she could think of.

For but a brief moment, Robin actually considered the possibility of following behind the exalt’s convoy, remaining out of sight from anyone she didn’t wish to be seen by.

But that… Chrom would never agree to that; no one in their right mind would. Chrom would want her to stay behind, and stay safe.

And it wasn’t as if she could follow behind them secretly. Stealth wasn’t exactly her forte, for starters. It was one thing to slip through these woods in the dead of night; these woods she had explored almost daily now. But to travel somewhere she had never been before was completely different.

That brought up another issue; Robin didn’t even know where Themis was. And it wasn’t as if she could ask for directions. If she tried asking any of the other Shepherds, they would know right away what she was up to. Well, maybe she could get away with asking Vaike but–

“R-Robin?” A vaguely familiar voice stammered out with uncertainty, interrupting the thoughts that had kept her occupied for almost half an hour by now. Whoever they were, they spoke just soft enough that Robin almost barely heard them.

Going stock-still, her eyes quickly scanned over her surroundings. In an instant, they were drawn to a fleck of light blue that stood in stark contrast to the deep forest green.

She recognized those robes, and that matching mage hat; the _other_ Shepherd who hadn't been too keen on making her acquaintance.

“Ricken? What're you doing here?” She wondered, surprised to see him standing there amongst the trees. “Shouldn't you be with Chrom and the others?”

An almost sour look flashed across the young mage’s face at that second question, but it vanished so quickly that Robin wasn't sure that it'd even been there in the first place.

“I-I… Chrom told me to stay behind and protect the garrison. He said I wasn't ready for this mission. But I know that I am!” Ricken explained. “B-But I, uh, I might need a little help.”

“You… you want _me_ to help you?” Robin guessed as even more surprise found its way across her face.

“W-Well, the others have already started marching and – actually, they've probably been on the road for a while now – but, what I'm trying to say is, I'm pretty sure you're the only one who can catch up to them in time,” the redheaded boy rambled, pausing briefly when something seemed to dawn on him. “...I-I just now sort of realized that you're supposed to be staying behind, too… so I understand if you don't want to get in trouble or anything.”

“Actually, it's funny; I was just trying to come up with some way I could help the others myself. Are you… are you sure you don't mind being around me, though?” She checked.

“Why would I mind?” He wondered.

“I just thought… Well, I thought you didn't really, y’know... like me,” Robin admitted.

Now it was Ricken’s turn to be surprised.

“N-No! That's not– I mean, I don't even really know you, it's just… I… I might've been a little scared of you. O-Only at first though!” He confessed. “But then Lissa and Chrom and Sumia always talked about how nice you were, and by then I just felt… embarrassed, y’know? Like it was really stupid of me to be scared. I-I'm sorry.”

For Robin, it was quite shocking to hear such honesty from the young mage, seemingly out of nowhere. But as she thought about it, it made sense that Ricken was being so honest with her now, when he was trying to get her help.

“You don't have to be sorry, Ricken. I can understand where you're coming from,” she assured him. “...C’mon. Let's go help save Maribelle.”

Slowly, she moved to hold her hand out to the redheaded wind mage, laying it flat on the ground, palm up, like a platform for him to step on to.

He stared at it for a good minute before looking up to meet Robin’s eyes. Then, with a sudden and confident smile, Ricken stepped forward.

 

* * *

 

“She’s quite remarkable, you know,” Emmeryn spoke up from where she rode on horseback.

“Who is?” Chrom wondered from atop his own steed walking beside the exalt’s.

With time of the essence, all of the Shepherds were riding down the large dirt road that led to Themis, even those who weren’t particularly skilled at it.

“Robin,” his older sister clarified. “I was hoping she would get to tell you this herself, but… well, I certainly didn’t think we would be marching so soon after your return. You’ll never believe what happened while you were gone.”

Chrom’s interest was definitely piqued by that little comment. “Go on.”

“A small village at the Farfort was raided by bandits several days ago, not long after you left for Regna Ferox; they kidnapped all of its residents and murdered every last soldier stationed at the fort,” Emmeryn began.

 _You’re kidding,_ Chrom almost wanted to say out loud. Sure, Ylisse had no shortage of bandit raids in the past few weeks, but none that were that… Gods, Chrom couldn’t even think of a good word for it. Extensive? Militaristic? Brutal?

But obviously Emmeryn wasn’t kidding, and he wasn’t about to interrupt her.

“They weren’t– I wouldn’t consider them the usual riffraff we’ve been dealing with,” the exalt went on. “They were swift and silent. The raid actually happened about a week ago, and yet no one at the castle even knew that the village had been attacked until, well… Just yesterday, not long after the sun came up, one of Phila’s best knights, a young prodigy named Cordelia– you know of her, yes?”

Chrom nodded.

“Cordelia came to make an urgent report to Phila, that while she was out alone on a dawn patrol, she’d met Robin out deeper in the forest behind the castle hill. Near an abandoned bandit camp.”

This time, Chrom couldn’t stop the words from escaping past his lips. “Y-You’re kidding.”

Emmeryn shook her head. “I could hardly believe it myself. Apparently one of the kidnapped villagers, a young farmhand, managed to escape while the brigands were making camp for the night. He somehow found his way to Robin and convinced her to help save his fellow villagers.”

“She… Robin took out an entire camp of bandits? By herself?” Chrom questioned incredulously. Although, really, that wasn’t such an unbelievable thing, if he was being honest with himself.

“No. Just their leader; the others fled,” Emmeryn specified. “Phila has her scouts keeping an eye out for them. All of the villagers were safe, though. We had a small squadron of pegasus knights escort them back to the Farfort with carts and other provisions. However, based on the documents and maps that were found at the campsite, we believe the bandits were en route to Plegia.”

“ _Of course,_ ” Chrom muttered under his breath.

“The point I’m trying to make, Chrom, is that if it weren’t Robin, those villagers would’ve likely been sold into slavery. She saved their lives, and nearly lost an eye in the process.”

“Wait, _what_?” Chrom nearly exclaimed.

“While the bandits were fleeing, one of them shot an arrow into her eye. Luckily there wasn’t any major damage, and I was able to heal it just fine.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. _You_ healed her, Emm?” A young, feminine voice suddenly piped up. Lissa came riding up alongside her brother and sister, clearly having been eavesdropping the entire time. Both older siblings shared a knowing look before Emmeryn explained further.

“There were no other healers present that knew of Robin’s… existence, so I took the task upon myself. That, and I had to find some way to thank her, after all,” The eldest of the three noted with a smile. “I didn’t really know what to make of her when we first met, but I am glad that you decided to help her, you two.”

“So am I,” Chrom agreed.

 

* * *

 

“Well, well, well! I never thought the radiant exalt herself would grace us with her _luminous_ presence!” The Mad King cackled.

The malicious grin on his face said otherwise.

Below the jagged mountain peaks that divided Ylisse and Plegia, King Gangrel stood on a flat outcropping of rock that overlooked the road that the exalt and her entourage walked on. Like an actor on a stage, the redheaded royal exuded an air of pure confidence.

Everything was going according to plan.

“King Gangrel,” Emmeryn began. Her usual kind and inviting tone was absent, but she wasn’t rude or disdainful either. “I’ve come seeking the truth of this unfortunate incident that has transpired between us.”

Perfectly calm, and perfectly collected. It make Gangrel want to retch.

However, from beside his older sister, Chrom was quite the opposite of the serene and sensible exalt. It took everything he had to hold his tongue, for he knew any harsh words he sent the Mad King’s way would only come back to bite him.

Chrom had to let Emmeryn handle this. Although he didn’t always agree with her unwavering desire for peace above all else, he did believe in her.

At Gangrel’s side, a woman clad in obsidian black chimed in. “The truth? I can give you the truth.”

Emmeryn eyed the new speaker with a perplexed expression. The woman’s attire was… vaguely similar to that of a pegasus knight, yet also spoke of one who practiced the dark arts. Most of her long white hair was held back by a tight black hood, and her olive skin was tattooed with intricate purple markings. Judging from the way she carried herself, Emmeryn could only assume that she had to be some sort of royal advisor.

“Might the lady first share her name?” The exalt wondered politely.

“You, Your Grace, may call me Aversa,” the woman introduced herself with her own feigned politeness.

“Very well, Aversa. Is Lady Maribelle unharmed?”

“If you’re referring to that little blonde brat, she’s _perfectly_ fine,” Gangrel cut in, gesturing behind him to a burly-looking man who was approaching from over one of the hills.

Following along as she was tugged by a thick rope that bound her wrists was the very noblewoman they were looking for.

Maribelle struggled against her restraints the entire way, but her attempts were in vain.

“Unhand me, you baseborn troglodyte!” She spat.

“This girl trespassed over the Plegian border,” Aversa stated. “And what’s more, she _attacked_ the kind soldiers who sought only to escort her home.”

“ _Lies_! You tell nothing but lies, hag!” Maribelle exclaimed.

“My, can you believe the temper of this girl?” Gangrel remarked with a coy grin. “Such a violent disposition can only speak to her guilt. Perhaps I should have that nasty little tongue of hers removed.”

“I do believe you’re well within your rights to do such a thing, Your Highness,” Aversa noted, sharing his mischievous expression.

“You black-hearted devil!” Chrom hissed, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

“Careful, dear Emmeryn. That dog of yours looks about ready to bite someone,”  the Plegian king warned, though he was still smiling that devious smile of his.

Chrom grit his teeth and clenched his fists, wishing he could punch the smarmy look right off of the Mad King’s face. But then Emmeryn rested a hand on her brother shoulder with a faint, pleading look in her eyes.

The Ylissean prince forced himself to calm down after that.

“You know, Your _Graceliness_ ,” Gangrel continued. “I’m not the heartless man your guard dog seems to think I am. I might be willing to overlook this girl’s _dreadful_ transgressions… for the right price.”

The situation only escalated from there, with the Mad King demanding that Emmeryn hand over the Fire Emblem, Ylisse’s sacred treasure.

Emmeryn could never agree to such unreasonable terms, but she also couldn’t let Gangrel execute Maribelle right then and there; she had hardly any doubts that that was exactly what he planned to do if she didn’t comply.

After a useless back-and-forth argument between both parties, the Plegian king was tired of waiting.

At his signal, two axe-wielding ruffians stepped forward, and they charged toward Emmeryn with a vicious ferocity in their eyes. They intended to kill to get what their king wanted.

But Chrom wasn’t about to let that happen.

 

* * *

 

“Shameful, isn’t it? I’d say you’re hardly worth starting a war over,” Aversa snickered mockingly as she approached the blonde noble. She then turned to the man holding Maribelle’s binds, and a dark look suddenly flashed in her eyes. “You know what to do.”

The brute nodded, reaching for the blade on his belt.

Just as he was about to draw the weapon from its sheath, a torrent of glowing, teal-colored wind knocked into him like a horse, sending him flying back a good several yards before he collided with the stone cliffside. Caught completely off guard, he’d dropped the rope that was attached to Maribelle’s wrists. After that, he fell to the ground, unmoving but still breathing.

Aversa let out a gasp, shocked by the sudden burst of magical energy.

“Maribelle, go! You’re free!” A young boy’s voice shouted.

From behind her, Aversa turned and saw a Ylissean mage come running over from behind the cover of several large boulders. Not only that, but from up higher, near one of the many towering bluffs, she could’ve sworn she caught the faintest glimpse of… _something_ moving amongst the rocky terrain.

Something huge.

_My eyes must be playing tricks on me…_

“ _Ricken?!_ ” Maribelle exclaimed. “What on earth are you doing here?!”

“Just run! I’ll explain later!” He insisted, grabbing her hand once he was standing next to her.

“Well now, what’s a precious little whelp like you doing out here fighting?” Aversa remarked snarkily.

“Don’t talk down to me, you witch!” Ricken rebuffed, sending a blast of wind magic her way. It was enough to make the dark flier flinch, though she was able to hold her ground surprisingly better than the barbarian that’d been knocked off his feet.

Ricken seized the opportunity to make his escape with Maribelle in tow.

“ _Wretched brat,_ ” Aversa hissed. “You’ll be dead long before you reach your–!”

“NOW!” Ricken shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing off of the rocky walls. In that same instant, the wind mage raised a hand above his head as he ran, shooting out another magical attack.

This time, however, he wasn’t aiming at anyone in particular, and though the magic glowed with a brilliant intensity, someone as well-studied in magic as Aversa could easily tell there was no destructive power behind it. That particular attack was all for show. She knew right away that it had to be some kind of signal. 

That dazzling display, as well as Ricken’s yelling, drew the attention of every single person in the area and momentarily put a stop to the battle that was about to ensue.

But there was only one who knew exactly what his signal meant.

A deep rumbling reverberated through the ground, and aside from Ricken and Maribelle, who were both too busy running, everyone could only watch as an avalanche came tumbling down the mountain side.


	10. Settle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which Chrom wants answers._   
> 

When the dust finally settled, a mess of rock and earth blocked the mountain pass; not a single soul could traverse this route now, save for those on winged mounts. If would probably take months, if not years _,_ to clear the path once more.

However, by some miracle, the debris had fallen in such a way that only affected the space _between_ the two parties. No one was harmed.

By some miracle, or some genius.

With the handful Ylissean pegasus knights and Plegian wyvern riders that were gathered, this news was easily reported back to the leaders on either side. Most of the Plegians were left dumbfounded and awestruck, but there were plenty of Ylisseans who had at least a partial inkling of what had just happened.

Ricken and Maribelle stood with their hands on their knees as they tried to get precious air back into their lungs after Ricken had stopped running, and stopped dragging Maribelle behind him.

The other Shepherds all came rushing over to them, concern blatantly displayed on their faces. Well, most of their faces.

“Whoa! That was _awesome_!” Vaike practically hollered with excitement. “How did you do that, Ricken?”

“While that was undoubtedly quite a fantastic act of bravery, I don’t believe Ricken was the sole instigator of that display,” Miriel noted.

“Oh Gods, Maribelle, I was so worried about you!” Lissa exclaimed as she practically tackled her friend into a hug. “Are you alright?” She asked. But before Maribelle even had the chance to answer, Lissa was turning to look at Ricken. “Did what I think just happened really just happen?”

“Depends on… what you think just happened…” The wind mage panted, still catching his breath.

“Ricken, this is serious,” Chrom stated in a stern, almost parental tone. “Robin came here with you, didn't she?”

“We both… We both just wanted to help, Captain,” Ricken answered, looking up to meet the prince’s gaze. He didn’t look apologetic, only confident and sure of himself.

“Where is she?” Chrom questioned.

“She said she’d wait for us at the base of the mountain, near the woods. Back the way she and I came,”

Chrom looked like he was about to ask something else, but before he could…

“Milord, I’m sorry to interrupt,” Frederick cut in as he stepped forward, “but I would suggest that this discussion be continued in a… less hostile location.”

With a single nod of his head, the brunet knight gestured to a cluster of fliers hovering in the air on the Plegian side of the rubble. One was a rider atop a pegasus whose coat was as dark as a starless night; the woman who had called herself Aversa. All of the others, four men and women, were mounted on wyverns.

They were by no means within earshot, and it seemed highly unlikely that such a small force would swoop in for any kind of attack, but as always, Frederick lived up to his nickname.

“I second that notion,” Emmeryn agreed. She’d yet to really move from the spot where she’d been standing when she attempted her parley with Gangrel, aside from bracing herself during the rockslide. “It’s getting late, and all of you have yet to truly rest since you returned from Regna Ferox.”

No one could argue against that. Even if Emmeryn hadn’t been their ruler, she made a very good point. Not only that, but most of them were too exhausted to even _think_ about disagreeing.

 

* * *

 

“Robin, what… what were you thinking?” Chrom questioned. He didn’t sound angry, just…

Upset? Disappointed? _Both?_ Probably both.

It was the next morning, and that was something that Chrom was almost grateful for, in a way. He wasn't sure how he’d managed to get much sleep last night, but somehow he’d done it. Perhaps exhaustion had won out over stress in the end.

Whatever the case, Chrom knew that between now and the incident with Gangrel, he’d had enough time to… cool down a bit. He imagined he would’ve sounded a lot less calm if he’d confronted Robin about this sooner. Not that he was completely calm now, but… well, it could be worse.

It was just the two of them in Robin’s clearing now. The grass was still damp with dew, and a faint mist hung in the air as soft bird songs drifted by. Even though the sun was up, the sky was still somewhat dark with a heavy overcast.

Chrom noted that the gray of the clouds matched Robin’s eyes almost perfectly.

“I was thinking that I was tired of waiting here while you all were off doing gods only know what,” The white-haired young woman mumbled as she sat with knees hugged close to her chest. “You might’ve told Ricken that he couldn’t come, but you never told me that I had to stay hiding in these woods all the time.”

“I didn’t think I had to.”

Chrom had given Ricken a fair share of scolding just before he’d left to talk with Robin. At first, he’d been damn-near furious with the young wind mage for bringing Robin along for that little stunt. Of course, then he realized that both of them had a part in helping each other; Ricken couldn’t have gotten there without Robin, and Robin couldn’t have gotten there without Ricken.  

The Ylissean prince let out a sigh after that, pinching the bridge of his nose. This conversation really wasn’t going how he wanted it to.

“Listen, Robin, I… I am grateful for your help. If you’d hadn’t come, I’m sure we would’ve had quite the skirmish on our hands. But what if someone had seen you? What if _Gangrel_ had seen you?”

“You don’t think I already thought of that?” Robin countered. “I knew that it was dangerous, maybe downright stupid, but I couldn’t… I couldn’t just sit around doing _nothing._ ”

She was right. Chrom knew she was right.

He had a feeling that if he were in her shoes, he probably would’ve done the exact same thing. So maybe he was being a bit of a hypocrite for reprimanding her over this.

“Emm told me about what you did the other day… How you saved those villagers,” Chrom spoke up after a moment or two of silence. His eyes were focused down on the ground now. “I was really impressed by that.”

He paused again before continuing. “I don’t… I don’t expect you to sit around here all the time; I know I’d probably lose my mind if _I_ had to do something like that. I just… I’m worried about you, Robin,” he confessed. “I said that I would help you, after all. If anything happened to you, if you got hurt somehow because you were trying to help _me_ , I’d feel terrible.”

After saying those words, Chrom finally dared a glance upwards, all the way up to meet Robin’s eyes.

But right as their eyes met, almost at the exact same moment, a branch of lightning streaked across the sky, followed immediately by a low booming of thunder.

The torrential downpour that came next was so sudden, almost out of nowhere; it wasn’t a light drizzle that slowly grew in intensity. In a matter of seconds, Chrom was almost entirely soaked through.

For once, Robin’s huge size gave her an advantage; she had more time until she was just as drenched as Chrom.

Suddenly, the thick blanket of rain over Chrom’s head was replaced by a different sort of thick blanket; heavy, dark fabric now blocked out what little bit of sunlight had managed to break through the rain clouds.

It took the Ylissean prince a second to realize that Robin had thrown her cloak over him.

And it took him even longer to find his way out of the large expanse of material.

Well, at least he was out of the rain now.

“Need a hand?” Robin offered with an almost playful tone. Chrom could've sworn he heard the faintest bit of laughter in her voice. He supposed it must've been a pretty amusing sight to behold.

From her perspective, it _was_ rather amusing to see the small lump under her cloak shuffle every which way trying to find where the fabric ended.

When a muffled and slightly embarrassed ‘yes’ reached her ears, Robin carefully lifted up one end of the cloak that was nearest to Chrom.

Their eyes met once more, and Robin was even more amused by the faint blush she saw creeping up Chrom’s cheeks.

“Maybe this is the gods’ way of telling us to stop being so dreary,” the white-haired giantess suggested with a lighthearted laugh. “... Y’know, I'm worried about something bad happening to you, too. Especially with that temper of yours,” she teased, using her free hand to wipe away some of the tiny droplets of water on her face. “You looked like you were seconds away from tearing that Mad King’s head off. Not that I can blame you for it, though.”

“Diplomacy has never been a strength of mine,” Chrom admitted. “That's more of Emm’s area of expertise.”

“Somehow that doesn't surprise me.” They both shared a laugh at that comment.

“… Wasn't I supposed to be angry with you?” Chrom wondered, still smiling.

“Angry? With me? Whatever for?” She wondered right back at him with a cheeky grin.

“Hmm… I can’t seem to remember.”

“Well then, I think you should get back to the castle before you catch your death of cold out here in this weather.”

“What about you?”

The jovial nature of their conversation got a bit more serious after Chrom asked that, but their whole little banter was still quite light-hearted.

“What _about_ me?” Robin chuckled. “It’s not as if I can come inside with you.”

“Robin, this storm looks like it’s going to last for at least a few hours. I’m not just going to leave you alone out here,” he insisted.

“You don’t really have a choice.”

“I think I do.” And with that, the blue-haired lordling sat right down in the wet grass under Robin’s cloak, crossing his legs and looking quite pleased with himself.

“Chrom–” Robin was about to argue.

“You can’t make me leave.”

“Oh, can’t I?” She challenged with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

In one swift movement, Chrom was enveloped in a sudden warmth as Robin’s free hand came down and swept him right off the ground. He barely had time to process what was happening before he was laying sprawled out in the palm of her hand, several dozen feet in the air. Her fingers curled up around him, creating a sort of shield from the rain.

To move up so high so fast, feeling like his stomach had been left behind, it brought Chrom back to Regna Ferox, to the Longfort, when Sumia had saved him from getting impaled by javelins. Of course, suddenly finding himself on the back of a pegasus was quite different from being held in someone’s hand.

Robin seemed to take notice of Chrom’s mild discomfort. Or at least, what she perceived as mild discomfort.

“Sorry, I… I went too far, didn’t I? Here, I can– I should’ve asked first, I’m sorry. I’ll put you back down–” she stammered, looking quite embarrassed with herself as she started slowly lowering her hand back down to the forest floor.

“N-No! I-I mean, you’re fine. It’s fine.” he interrupted quickly. “This is just… really different.” Different, but not unpleasant.  

“A-Are you sure?”

“How else are you going to get rid of me?” He smiled, trying to lighten the mood once more.

“You’re ridiculous,” Robin sighed even as she returned his smile with one of her own. “I’m going to stand up now, alright?”

Stand up?

Right. She was only sitting now.

 _Oh gods._  

No, no, this was fine. He could handle this. He trusted Sumia back in Regna Ferox, and he trusted Robin now. But Chrom could just imagine Frederick losing his mind over this if he was here.

“Alright.”

He'd seen her stand up plenty of times before. He'd been in awe of her towering height as he watched from a distance. But now? Now he was along for the ride.

After a moment, especially after Robin started walking, Chrom realized that his initial comparison of riding a pegasus wasn’t a very good one.

Once you came to terms with the fact that you were hundreds of feet in the air, a pegasus wasn’t really that much different from horse, and Chrom had ridden horses plenty of times before.

Sitting in Robin’s hand was not like riding a horse. Obviously. And aside from the height, it wasn’t much like riding a pegasus either. But Chrom didn’t have any other experiences that even came close to this one.

“How’re you holding up?” Robin checked.

“Good. I’m good,” he replied, speaking a little quicker than he would’ve liked.

“That’s good.”

For her part, even though this was her fourth time holding an _entire person_ in the palm of her hand, Robin still wasn’t quite used to the sensation. Maybe she’d never get used to it.

Her other hand was still holding onto her cloak, but she moved to drape its hood over her head, letting the rest drape down over her back instead of actually wearing it. It gave her some protection from the rain, but not a lot.

Robin’s steps were slow and cautious as she snaked her way through the trees, but there was a part of her that was also trying to hurry and get Chrom out of this storm.

“By the way… since you’re already coming with me back to the palace, you might as well stay once we get there,” Chrom pointed out.

“Are you really going to start this again?”

“Yes.”

“Where would I even stay?”

“I don’t know yet. The courtyard should be big enough.”

“Is this another case of ‘we’ll figure it out when we get there?’”

“Maybe.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is low-key my new favorite chapter guys ;w;
> 
> I know some of you were probably looking forward to some more action-oriented stuff, buuuuut I was really inspired to write this scene, and I thought this would be a good time to fit it in the story and I like how it turned out (which is rare for me)
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Til next time~


	11. Visitors, Castle Edition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which the rain washes away old wounds._   
> 

As it turned out, the courtyard was perfectly big enough for Robin to stay there. The open gardens and pathways didn’t provide much cover from rain, hardly any at all really, but Chrom was just glad that she wasn’t down in the woods by herself.

Considering most of the castle’s inhabitants already knew about Ylisse’s resident giantess, there wasn’t too much of a commotion when she and Chrom came up over the hill.

Surprisingly, Frederick had been more concerned with the fact that Chrom was sopping wet than the fact that Robin had been carrying him. When the two of them arrived, the brunet knight almost immediately ushered Chrom inside to dry off and change.

By that point, Robin was pretty drenched herself, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it. And honestly, she didn’t really mind all that much either. Being able to see the palace was more than enough to let her ignore the slightly uncomfortable, heavy feeling of water-logged clothing.

Robin didn’t think she’d ever seen a castle before, or if she had, she was sure it wasn’t one like this. The castle itself was a sort of light copper color, and despite the overcast skies, it almost seemed to glisten and glow in the rain. The courtyard was quite stunning as well. All different kinds of flowers were organized in gorgeous displays, and an orchard of trees lined the northernmost outer wall. Someone must’ve spent countless hours keeping these grounds so beautiful.

When she and Chrom had first arrived, Robin almost didn’t want to step inside the courtyard for fear of ruining such a floral masterpiece. However, with a considerable amount of caution, and careful use of the paved walkways, _somehow_ Robin managed to avoid trampling the delicate plant life that now surrounded her.

As lovely as the scenery was, Robin didn’t have much of a desire to stay once the storm finally let up. Even if it was nice to be closer to Chrom and the others, she definitely preferred the freedom of movement she had back out in the woods. Sitting cross-legged in a grassy and unflowered part of the courtyard, she found it a little hard to relax when she was so worried about crushing something.

“Robin, what _are_ we going to do with you?” Lissa’s voice called over. The blonde cleric stood under the shelter of a nearby cloister, although she did have an unopened umbrella with her. Perhaps she intended to step out into the courtyard?

“What do you mean?” Robin wondered.

“It’ll be a miracle if your clothes don’t take _days_ to dry with you sitting out in the rain like that!” The younger girl clarified.

“I don’t suppose that umbrella is for me, then?” Robin joked.

Lissa couldn’t stop herself from smiling at that little attempt at humor. “Of course! If we get about a hundred more I think you’ll be set,” she played along. “... Chrom probably doesn’t think he’s all that lucky with the earful he’s getting from Frederick right now, but at least he has a dry set of clothes to change into.”

“I’m fine, Lissa, really. It’s not so bad,” Robin noted.

“You say that _now_ , but we’ll see how long that lasts!” Lissa avowed.

Just then, a heavy sigh drew Robin’s attention to a man standing against a doorway several feet behind Lissa. She couldn’t really get a good view of him from where he stood, partially obscured by the stonework.

“This isn’t too boring for you, is it, Lon’qu?” Lissa teased playfully.

“Hmph,” was the only response the man gave.

Ah. So this was the new recruit Sumia had mentioned earlier.

“Oh! Robin, you haven’t met Lon’qu yet, have you?” Lissa turned her attention back to her large friend.

When Robin shook her head, the young cleric turned to the stoic swordsman once again. “Lon’qu, c’mere! Robin can’t see you very well from all the way back there!” She insisted.  

“I told you before, I cannot–” He started.

“Ugh, fine! Hold on,” Lissa fumed, cutting him off as she opened her umbrella and walked out into the rainy courtyard. “I didn’t think I’d actually have to use this thing,” she grumbled.

Once Lissa was a considerable distance closer to Robin, and thus farther from him, Lon’qu stepped forward.

His dark brown hair was wild and a bit messy, and the clothing he wore was unlike anything Robin had seen before; blue and white with a crimson sash around his abdomen, and a sword resting in its sheath at his side. If Robin could only use one word to describe his attire, it would be ‘sleek.’ Based on appearances alone, this man looked agile; quick as the lightning that streaked through the sky.

“Hello,” Robin greeted. “It’s nice to finally meet you."

“Yeah,” Lon’qu responded curtly.

When it seemed like that was the only thing he had to say, Lissa chimed in.

“Don’t worry, it’s not just you. He’s like this with everyone,” she assured Robin. “ _Especially_ girls.” Speaking to Lon’qu, she said, “Y’know, isn’t a bodyguard supposed to be near the _body_ they’re _guarding?”_

“You’re close enough,” the Feroxi swordsman remarked. “I can cover this distance in the blink of an eye if I need to.”

“Bodyguard, huh?” Robin echoed curiously. “I thought that was Frederick’s job.”

“It is, just not for me personally,” Lissa explained. “Apparently there’ve been rumors of assassins or something who want my sweet little head on a platter. So Chrom thought I could use some extra protection, and he ordered Lon’qu here to help with that.”

“O-Oh,” was all that Robin could think to say. She supposed such information wasn’t really all that surprising though, considering the fact that Lissa was a member of the royal family. The _youngest_ member of the royal family, which probably made her seem like quite the easy target to any would-be assassins.

“Honestly, you'd probably make a _way_ better bodyguard than he does,” Lissa muttered.

Robin just barely noticed, but it almost looked like Lon’qu took some offense to that comment. “I doubt that,” she disagreed. “Unless you'd want to stay out in the woods with me all the time. And I know how much you _love_ camping.”

“Darn, I didn’t even think about that,” the princess noted.

“Besides, Chrom must have a lot of faith in your skills, Lon’qu, if he trusts you to look after his little sister instead of one of the other Shepherds,” Robin went on.

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Lon’qu rebuffed.

“I wouldn’t say I agree with that, but alright,” the white-haired giantess said with a smile.

“Welp, Lon’qu and I have to get to the council meeting soon. I just thought I’d stop by and see you before then!” Lissa explained, patting Robin’s soaked pant leg. “That’s part of the reason Frederick was so miffed at Chrom earlier. ‘A prince must look his best’ and all that.”

“I see,” Robin stated with a bit of a giggle. “Well, tell Chrom I said good luck if you see him before the meeting starts.”

“Will do!”

 

* * *

 

It was right around noon when the rain finally let up. By that point, Robin was pretty sure that Lissa's remark about her clothes drying _wasn’t_ an exaggeration.  

Several of the other Shepherds had stopped by during that time, passing through on various tasks or errands, but there was one Shepherd in particular that caught Robin by surprise.

The blonde noblewoman had come just as the downpour slowly faded into a light drizzle, standing with an opened parasol in hand. When Robin had first spotted Maribelle, she’d half expected the young troubadour to keep on walking without sparring her so much as a passing glance. Needless to say, that wasn’t what happened.

“Um, h-hello, Lady Maribelle. Is there anything I can help you with?” Robin wondered, conscientious of how politely she spoke. She definitely didn’t feel comfortable speaking casually with Maribelle just yet.

“I would like to… to thank you for aiding the others with my rescue,” Maribelle stated, though it almost seemed like she was struggling to get the words out. “Ricken told me that without you, he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did.”

“Oh. You don’t have to thank me for that,” Robin insisted. “I couldn’t… It didn’t feel right for me to just sit back and wait while the others were out there doing something about it.”

“That’s precisely why I have to thank you, Robin.” Maribelle corrected her. “And I… I also must apologize for how I’ve treated you in the past.”

“Is… is that something you and Ricken talked about, too?” She wondered.

Maribelle nodded. “I’ve thanked that boy more times than I can count, but not once have I extended the same courtesy to you. I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t even the one to realize that. Ricken was the one to point that out to me.”

“You know, I already told Ricken this, but you don’t have to apologize for that. I’m pretty sure you had the most normal reaction to meeting me, all things considered,” Robin admitted. “Here I am, this huge stranger, none of you know what my intentions are or who I am... Hell, _I_ don’t even really know who I am. You two had every reason not to trust me.”

“While some of that might be true, I’m going to have to disagree with you,” Maribelle argued. “Lissa… Lissa is a dear friend of mine, as I’m sure you’ve already learned. She’s quite enamored with you, you know? In all honesty, I can’t say I blame her. I’ve realized that you’re a very kind person.”

“Lady Maribelle, I–”

“Just Maribelle, if you’d please.”

“A-Alright. Maribelle, thank you. Those words mean a lot.”

“And if I’m still being honest, the truth is… I thought, no, I _feared_ that I was going to be replaced,” the young noblewoman confessed. “But now I realize how foolish that was. You are one of Lissa’s friends as well, and as such… perhaps you and I could also be friends? Or try to be, at least.”

Robin smiled. “I’d like that.”

 

* * *

 

When evening eventually rolled around, Robin decided that is was about time for her to head back down into the woods. Of course, she intended to wait for someone to come by so she could tell them that; it seemed pretty rude to just up and leave without letting anyone know.

“Robin, how’ve you been?” The voice of a certain blue-haired prince called over. What a coincidence, that he would be the one to show up. “Sorry I couldn’t come back and talk with you sooner. Gods, today’s been crazy…”

“That’s alright. Lissa told me about the council meeting. Am I allowed to know what it was about or is that a for-royals-only matter?” She asked jokingly.

“Oh. That. It wasn’t anything too major, really. Everyone’s just worried about what’s going to happen next,” Chrom explained. “With Plegia, I mean.”

“Everyone, huh? Even you?”

“ _Especially_ me. The council wants to send a team back up to Regna Ferox to request additional soldiers, and I agree that we should, but… ugh, it just feels like we’ve never really gotten the chance to rest, you know?”

“Well, that’s war for you.”

“And I can’t help but blame myself for that. Emmeryn never wanted to see Ylisse go through another war with Plegia.”

“Chrom, you can’t– What happened back there with Gangrel wasn't your fault. That man was practically _begging_ for a war, and I’m sure your actions had nothing to do with it,” Robin argued. Any thoughts she had of leaving were pushed aside for now.

“Well, you’re certainly not wrong about the Mad King,” he admitted.

“I’m not wrong about _you_ either,” she countered. “Don’t forget, I helped stop one of the bandit raids that he was responsible for, and that’s only a fraction of the horrible things he’s done to your country.”

“...I know I told you a little bit about the days when Emmeryn first became ruler, but… there’s a lot that I left out that I think I should tell you now,” Chrom began a bit reluctantly.

“Go ahead,” Robin urged him on.

“The last exalt, our father, waged war against Plegia for many years. It was more like a crusade, really. I was rather young at the time, and I can’t remember hardly anything before that war started. It was a brutal campaign for both sides, ending only with his death fifteen years ago.”

Chrom took a deep breath before he continued. “Plegia rightfully remembers the suffering they had to endure, but my father’s choices weren’t any kinder to his own people. There were so many casualties, eventually the army was so desperate for soldiers that farmers who could barely wield pitchforks were conscripted and forced to fight for their lives. And then, after that, there was hardly anyone left to grow food for the kingdom. It began to collapse.”

“I never would’ve guessed, looking at the country now,” she murmured softly.

“I know,” Chrom agreed. “What Emmeryn did was amazing. I can’t even imagine how she pulled it off. Our father died before she was even ten years old, and he left her quite the legacy. Plegia wanted revenge, our own people wanted restitution…”  

“She really is an incredible woman,” Robin praised.

“I don’t think I could ever do what she did, Robin. To greet such open hostility with warmth and patience… While our people blamed her and vilified her, she healed them. She put an end to the war. She never resented them after they forgave her. King Gangrel could never forgive us, though. I don’t think he ever will. That man will fight against Ylisse with everything he’s got until he’s dead in the ground. But Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to. That’s why I have to be the one to put an end to the Mad King.”

A new voice chimed in just then, taking both Chrom and Robin by surprise.

“Well spoken, sir.”

“Marth,” Chrom murmured as the masked swordsman stepped out from the shadows. Chrom took a few steps closer to him in turn. “What are you doing here…?”

“Good evening… both of you,” Marth greeted as his masked gaze trailed up Robin’s colossal form.

“How’d you get in here?” She asked curiously.

“There’s a cleft in the outer wall, just behind the maple grove.”

“Gods be damned…” Chrom mumbled under his breath. “And here I thought that was well-concealed enough to go unnoticed.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Marth assured, turning to face him once more. “I’ve come here to warn you.”

“Warn us? About what?” Chrom questioned.

“The exalt’s life is in danger.”

“Emmeryn? Don’t be absurd. She’s guarded at all hours,” the Ylissean prince dismissed.

“What if… What if I told you that I’ve seen the future? A future where Lady Emmeryn is murdered. Here. Tonight. Would you believe me?” Marth asked, sounding rather hesitant.

“... I might have asked you if you’d lost your wits, but I don’t really think I’m in a position to think that way,” Chrom almost laughed as he looked to his giant companion. “Although I must admit, I do find that a little hard to believe.”

“Yes, I… I expected you wouldn’t believe me by word alone,” he acknowledged. “Allow me to prove it.” He drew forth his blade. The one that was a perfect copy of Chrom’s Falchion.

In response, Robin froze with uncertainty. She didn’t think… She wasn't sure, but she didn’t think Marth intended to harm Chrom. She also had no clue as to what the masked man’s intentions might be. Meanwhile, Chrom’s hand instinctively flew to the hilt of his own sword, and he was about to draw it before Marth spoke again.

“I’m about to save your life… From him.”

Robin and Chrom shared a few moments of confused silence before it happened. A hooded figure, clad in black, leaped from the bushes behind Marth. They looked ready to kill, until their eyes fell upon Robin. They froze for no more than a second, but that was all the opening Marth needed.

In the blink of an eye, he struck hard and fast, killing the would-be assassin with one clean slice through the back.

“I trust this proof will suffice?” Marth asked after Chrom’s attacker fell to the ground, lifeless. Robin could’ve sworn she heard an almost smug tone in his voice.

Chrom could only nod in stunned silence, no words coming to mind.

However, when a second figure followed behind their companion, it was Marth’s turn to be surprised.

He took a single step back, only to slip on the first assassin’s discarded blade. As he fell to the ground and cursed his luck, the second struck flesh with their steel. A streak of blood followed soon after.

Except... it wasn’t quite who they’d intended to hit.  

From where he lay in the grass, Marth’s vision was entirely blocked by a pair of hands. A pair of _giant_ hands.

At first, he didn’t even realize that his mask had fallen off.

The second assassin fell victim to the same shock that had caused their friend to hesitate, but now it was Chrom’s turn to strike. With almost the exact same grace and fluidity that Marth had displayed, Chrom rushed forward past his two allies. And just like that, it was over.

“Marth, are you… are you alright?” Robin checked, slowly pulling her hands away. She barely even noticed the line of blood that trickled down the knuckles of her left hand. To her, it was practically just a paper cut.

As Marth sat up, he also realized that not only had his mask fallen off, but his hair had come loose, too. Long and flowing blue, almost like a waterfall. Perhaps it was time to drop the whole ‘he’ charade.

“I… I’m alright. Thank you, milady,” Marth answered, dropping the deeper tone she’d adopted.

In all honesty, Robin wasn’t all too surprised to find out that Marth was actually a woman. She didn’t really think it mattered either way, but it was still a rather interesting thing to come to light.

Chrom, on the other hand, was nearly just as speechless as when Marth had saved his life from that first assassin. _Nearly_.

“Wait, you’re– You’re a woman?”

“And quite the actress, too. Honestly, I’m surprised it took you this long to figure it out,” Marth replied with a lighthearted chuckle. “I’m afraid we can’t really afford a further explanation, though. We have to–”

A loud explosion from within the palace cut her off, prompting all three of them to flinch in response. Robin was the first to recover.

“Get inside, both of you,” She practically ordered Marth and Chrom. “Do you think… Is it possible for you to get Emmeryn out here? I might be able to shield her, like I did with Marth just now,” The white-haired giantess suggested, speaking quickly.

“That’s not a bad plan,” Marth agreed.

“We can certainly try,” Chrom added. “But Robin, are you… are you okay with staying here? Staying behind?” He asked with genuine concern.

“Chrom, unless you want me to punch a hole in the wall, I would highly recommend that you go. Now.”

“Right, right. Just… be careful, okay?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s my line,” Robin remarked with a smile.

Chrom smiled back, and after that, the two blue-haired swordfighters dashed off into the palace, leaving Robin to wait where she sat outside. Hopefully waiting for their quick return. And if not… Well, she could at least stop anyone else from getting in through the courtyard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Golly, I sure do love leaving off on a cliffhanger! Happy October to those of you reading around the time this chapter got posted :P
> 
> By the by, I'm _really_ looking forward to posting the next chapter.  
>  For no reason.  
> No reason at all.


	12. Hindsight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which things take an... interesting turn._  
> 

Too much time had passed.

Robin didn’t know how long it had actually been, but it _felt_ like too much.

Other than that one huge explosion, she couldn’t hear anything from inside the castle. No other blasts. No shouting. No clashing of steel. Nothing.

Was that worse, or would it be better if she _could_ hear something and still not see what was going on? She didn’t know.

At some point while she’d been waiting, Robin moved to sit on her knees, anxiously drumming her fingers on the ground. Unlike earlier, she was now painfully aware of the damp clothes clinging to her skin, still soaked from the rain. It only added to her irritation and impatience.

... 

_There!_

Finally, Robin spotted movement out of the corner of her eye, and instantly turned her head in that direction. She went completely still after that, bracing herself for whatever came next.

There were three figures heading right for the courtyard. Right for her.

The first thing that came to her attention was a head of bright orange hair. Definitely not the familiar shade of blue she’d been hoping for, and certainly not any of the other Shepherds.

Whoever this man was, his dark attire led Robin to believe that he was in league with the assassins. But then she saw the burlap sack he had slung over his shoulder. Perhaps a thief looking to make profit in all the chaos?

Beside him was a taller woman with long, dark brown hair wearing magenta-colored armor. And were those…? Robin could hardly believe her eyes, but it looked like this woman had rabbit ears.

The third and final figure trailed along closely behind the other two. Shrouded in a long black cloak that hid most of their face and body, it was impossible for Robin to identify any notable features, but it did look like they were struggling to keep up.

Just as Robin was about to lunge for them, to try and stop them somehow, all three skidded to a grinding halt a couple yards away from her. The orange-haired thief and rabbit woman both stared up with wide eyes.

“Cripes, when your brother said you had a ‘tall friend’ waiting outside, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” the thief remarked. “Er, uh, pardon my tongue, Your Grace.”

_Your Grace?_

The cloaked figure reached up and pulled back their hood, revealing none other than Lady Emmeryn herself. “It’s… You’re quite alright, Gaius,” she panted, slightly out of breath. “I’m sure you can understand that, given the circumstances, there wasn’t much time for him to explain.”

“Emm, what are you…? Are Chrom and the others–” Robin started.

“They’re still inside. Chrom and that swordswoman, Marth, came to my chambers and all but forced me to escape with Gaius and Panne here.” Emmeryn explained, inadvertently introducing her two new comrades. “They were holding up just fine when I left, and I saw Lissa with them, but as for the rest of the Shepherds… I’m not sure.”

“They seemed like a pretty strong lot to me,” the man named Gaius chimed in, trying to sound reassuring. “And that group of assassins wasn't expecting you all to be so prepared.”

“Gaius, was it? And Panne? Thank you both for your help. My name’s Robin,” the white-haired giantess introduced herself. “S-Sorry if I scared either of you. Y-You don't have to worry though; if you're not a threat to the exalt, then I'm not a threat to you.”

Gaius chuckled at that. “First giant rabbits and now giant women? What's next?”

Panne seemed to bristle at his ‘giant rabbits’ remark, but she ignored it for the time being, instead focusing her attention on Robin.

“Your thanks is not necessary. I was simply repaying a debt owed to the exalted family,” she stated curtly.

Before Robin could ask what she meant by that, a new voice interrupted her.

“So this is where you've run off to, _Your Grace_.”

It was a man, tall and gaunt, dressed in the robes of a sorcerer. His eerie voice sent chills down Robin’s spine, and he seemed to exude a sort of dark aura that stood in glaring contrast to Emmeryn’s radiance.

Immediately, Panne and Gaius took defensive stances after positioning themselves between the exalt and this newcomer. Robin, however, found that she couldn’t move.

Something about this man felt… wrong? No. That wasn’t a good word for it. Not wrong, but _definitely_ not right either.

He’d been speaking to Emmeryn when he first arrived, but now his crimson red eyes were locked on Robin. She was used to that. What she _wasn’t_ used to was the absence of fear. He looked… somewhat surprised to see her, and maybe even the tiniest bit confused at first, but there was something else in his expression that caught Robin off guard.

Recognition.

He _knew_ her.

“My, what an interesting turn of events,” the sorcerer crooned. “I never would have thought his power could do such a thing… Fate truly piles the gifts at my feet tonight.” Almost gracefully, he brandished a tome out from under his cape; its purple binding screamed of dark magic.

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of light that snapped Robin out of her dazed state, but it didn't come from any spell the man had cast.

When the glow faded, a large rabbit-like beast stood where Panne once had. In this new form, she was easily the size of a horse, with brown and cream-colored fur, glowing pink eyes, and sharp claws.

Well, now Robin knew what Gaius meant by ‘giant rabbits.’

“Stay behind us, Your Grace. We’ll take care of this guy,” Gaius called over his shoulder as he unsheathed a pair of daggers from his belt. Emmeryn nodded, taking several steps backwards, closer to Robin.

In response, Robin leaned forward and rested both hands on the ground beside the exalt, almost arching over her protectively.

“Oh, will you now?” The black-haired man mocked Gaius’ claim. He raised a hand in their direction, and his tome flitted open all by itself in his other hand. Blackish-purple energy started to coalesce around the spellbook, and around the sorcerer’s free hand.

Not a second later, he launched a huge blast of magical energy at Panne and Gaius. It was so fast that neither of them had time to dodge, and they both cried out with voices full of anguish as the magic hit them full on.  

In just one single attack, they were left trembling and barely standing.

“ _Shit_ ,” Gaius cursed, his breaths coming out ragged. “I guess… I guess that's why this guy’s the leader of this little murder party.”

He was the assassins’ leader? Of course. _Of course_ he was. That shouldn't have surprised Robin in the slightest. Honestly, she would've been more worried if he _wasn't_ the leader, given how strong his magic was.

Another wave of his hand sent Gaius and Panne collapsing to the ground; still breathing, but just barely. Gaius was unconscious, and Panne was forced to revert back to her humanoid form, but she still clung to consciousness. She looked ready to pass out at a moment’s notice, though.

Emmeryn and Robin could only watch, awestruck by such a raw display of power.

“Now that that’s been taken care of… I believe you have something I desire, Lady Emmeryn,” the sorcerer stated with a chuckle. It was a hollow, foreboding sound. The tome closed itself, and he stowed it away back under his long, flowing robes.

_But why would he–_

The man snapped his fingers.

A searing, white-hot pain shot through Robin’s whole body, effectively silencing her thoughts.

Her fingers dug into the ground and tore at the earth. She knew that Emmeryn was still there, standing between her hands, but her vision was failing her. It wasn’t that she couldn’t see, per se, but nothing she saw registered in her mind.

 ** _“Why do you resist…?”_** A hollow, deep voice questioned. It sounded almost like… it was coming from inside of her.

She couldn’t focus on anything. Everything else started to blur and fade around her. Sights, sounds, feelings. It was all pushed aside by a wave of agony. All she could sense was that pain. Nothing but that pain.

She wanted to scream.

She couldn’t scream.

It was as if her voice was trapped in her throat, and if she couldn’t even scream, there was no hope of getting any coherent words out.

What was happening to her? _Why_ was it happening?

It hurt so much. So, so much…

…

“Ro–?”

Something finally reached through the pain. A sound. Faint, but definitely there. She clung to it like a lifeline, desperate for something, _anything_ , she could use to pull herself out of this.

“Robin–!”

Not just a sound. A voice, calling her name.

_“ROBIN!”_

Not just any voice. _Chrom’s_ voice.

 

* * *

 

“Their leader’s not here!” Lissa yelled to her brother. “I saw him earlier! He was barking orders and everything!” She was kneeling beside Lon’qu, treating a wound he’d gotten from an arrow to the shoulder. An arrow that had been meant for her.

Back inside the castle, she and the rest of the Shepherds were waiting outside Emmeryn’s bedroom door. Everyone was tense. By all accounts, it seemed like every last assassin had been taken care of.

All except one.

Lissa was positive that their leader wasn’t among the fallen- the dozen or so bodies that lay defeated in the hallway.

“Lissa, are you absolutely sure?” Chrom checked anxiously.

“She’s right. He’s not here,” Marth confirmed as she did her own thorough examination. “We should get back to the courtyard.”

Chrom nodded in agreement.

“Chrom, wait! Let me come with you!” Lissa insisted. Before the blue-haired prince could answer her, she turned her attention back to Lon’qu. “You’ll be alright, won’t you?” She asked with genuine worry in her voice.

“It was just an arrow. I’ll be fine,” the Feroxi swordsman dismissed her. “Go. Make sure your sister’s alright. The exalt’s more important than I am.”

Lissa shoved him as she got to her feet. “Don’t say that, you dummy!” She scolded. “Let Maribelle take a look at you, okay? Don’t go dying just because you wouldn’t let another girl treat your wounds!”

“I’m not going to die.”

“You’re darn right you aren’t!”

After that, the blonde cleric ran over to join Marth and her brother as they started making their way out to the courtyard.

“That was really clever of you, you know. Sending Emm away with Gaius and Panne,” Chrom told Marth as they went. “I was more than ready to get her out of here myself, but those assassins would’ve known right away that something was amiss if they saw me running _away_ from this fight.”

“Don’t praise me yet,” she rebuffed. “Not until we know the exalt is safe.”

The rest of their race to the outside was silent, save for the sound of their fast and heavy footsteps hitting the ground. Marth was practically leading the way, and if they’d had the time, Chrom would’ve asked her how she knew the palace halls so well; maybe it had something to do with that foresight of hers.

However, when the trio reached the courtyard, none of them were prepared for what they saw. Not Marth, and especially not Chrom or Lissa.

The leader of the assassins stood at the very end of the walkway that the three were running down. It was hard to tell from a distance, but it looked like he was concentrating on some kind of spell, though he held no tome in his hands. His concentration was so great that he didn’t even notice their approach.  

As they drew closer, that was when they saw the truly shocking sight.

Robin, kneeling and almost hunched over. Her eyes were wide open, unblinking and yet completely unfocused, as if she was in a trance. Based on the expression on her face, she also looked like she was in an immense amount of pain.

The next thing that drew their attention was Gaius and Panne’s crumpled forms lying motionless just a few yards in front of Robin, between her and the robed man.

In all three of their cases, there didn’t appear to be any external injuries, barring the cut on Robin’s hand, but there was no way such a small wound could cause her so much suffering.

“Where is–” Chrom was about to ask.

“There!” Lissa gasped, pointing over to where Robin was bracing her hands on the ground. Where Emmeryn stood beside the giant woman’s tree-thick arm.

Like the sorcerer, Emmeryn also hadn’t noticed the trio’s arrival. However, the reason she hadn’t noticed them was because her attention was focused on Robin, whose face she stared up at with a concerned expression.

It was only then that Chrom saw how Robin’s fingers were half-buried in the dirt. She wasn’t moving, but every muscle was tense, like a trapped animal waiting for an opening to escape through.

“Robin?” The Ylissean prince called out to her. He sounded worried, desperate even, and his concern nearly outmatched Emmeryn’s.

No response. Not even a flinch, or any other small indication that Robin might have heard. But Emmeryn heard him, and was relieved to see her brother and sister unharmed.

“C… Chrom, I don’t know if that’s a g–” Marth started, but Chrom ignored her.

“Robin, can you hear me?!” He tried again, louder than before. This time, he could’ve sworn he saw her blink. Once. And then twice.

But he didn’t realize that he was also drawing the attention of the assassins’ leader, pulling the gaunt man’s focus away from whatever strange spell he must’ve been using on Robin.

Marth and Lissa noticed, though, as the dark sorcerer flinched.

 _“ROBIN!”_ Chrom shouted one last time, practically at the top of his lungs.

 

* * *

 

The pain faded almost as quickly as it’d come, much to Robin’s relief. All that remained was a dull ache that settled over her entire body. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was heaven compared to the hell she’d just endured.

She released her death grip on the ground below her, blinking as her eyes came into focus on Emmeryn’s tiny form still standing next to her.

More relief flooded over her when she saw that the exalt was unharmed. By her, or by anyone else. Robin didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if–

 _No. Don’t go there,_ she mentally scolded herself.

Instead, she turned her attention to the sorcerer who had caused her so much agony in the first place.

“You _really_ shouldn’t have done that, Little Prince,” the man warned. “Let me show you what happens to people who get in my way!” He growled, pulling out his tome once more.

Before Robin could even think about trying to stop him from doing anymore harm, Marth beat her to it. In the blink of an eye, the blue-haired swordswoman surged forward, practically slicing the sorcerer clean in two.

“This… this cannot… be!” He groaned, coughing up a trickle of blood as he spoke before promptly collapsing into a heap in the grass.

That was it.

He was dead.

“Robin! Are you o–oh!!” Lissa was about to ask. Something stopped her, though Robin wasn’t quite sure what.

“I… I’m fine n-now, I-I think,” Robin assured her. Her voice was shaky, still having trouble finding its way out. “H-Help Panne and Gaius f-first.” She had a feeling Lissa would want to check her over anyway, just in case, but those two needed medical attention more than she did.

“A-Alright, if you say so,” the young cleric complied, stepping forward. Her gait seemed hesitant. Cautious even.

And then Robin realized that Marth was staring at her, standing rigid with fear written across her face.

Chrom was the one to explain why they all seemed so shaken. Well, kind of. With one hand, he pointed up to his temple. “You, um… Robin, what happened to you?”

“W-What do you m–?” She wondered as she reached up with her own hand and felt her head at the same spot where Chrom was pointing on his.

She froze mid-sentence when her fingers met a hard, bone-like protrusion on the side of her head. It was about as long as her index finger, maybe a bit longer, and almost ‘L’ shaped. With her other hand, she found an identical structure poking out on the opposite side.

Horns.

She’d grown a pair of horns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay soooooo imma be real with you guys;  
> I _totally_ did not plan for this to be the course of action the story would take, until I got to the very end of writing this chapter, and it just sort of... happened? I guess? I don't know.  
>  It just came to me, I like it, and I'm rolling with it. :p 
> 
> I eagerly await your reactions :3c


	13. Little Comforts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which realizations are had, and plans are made._

‘Marth’ could hardly believe her eyes. 

Surely a part of her must have known, though. 

Maybe she just didn’t want to believe. 

And honestly, who could blame her?

But… those horns.  She’d recognize them anywhere. They were but a small fraction of the vivid nightmare that plagued her sleep each and every night. And they could only mean one thing; Robin was exactly who Marth had feared her to be. 

When she’d first laid eyes on the giant woman sitting in the forests north of Southtown along with Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick, she’d had her suspicions. 

Or, more accurately, she’d been shocked out of her wits. 

This hadn’t happened in the past. 

Robin had not been a giant. 

That in and of itself was already so insanely crazy. 

There was no reasonable explanation Marth could think of, except that maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with her and the others traveling back in time. But that was just a guess; one that she wasn’t even very sure of in the first place.

Gods, she  _ really _ didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t want to believe that her m… that Robin was the one.

How… how could she stop this?  _ Was  _ there any way she could stop this? Was it already too late?

No. 

There was no way he’d already been resurrected so soon. Robin was still clearly herself, her kind and considerate self; not a bloodthirsty, heartless monster that reveled in destruction.

For how long, though? How long would it take until his darkness consumed her? Marth didn’t know. And she’d probably never know for certain. Not until it truly was too late. 

There  _ was _ one thing she was certain of; she needed a plan, and a good one at that. 

Of all the questions that raced through Marth’s mind as she stared at the now-horned giantess, one kept repeating itself over and over again. A persistent, nagging thought that wouldn’t go away.  

If it came down to it, if there was no other choice… was she prepared to end Robin’s life?

 

* * *

 

“It will take time to investigate how this assassination plot made it so far,” Phila reported. “The men who infiltrated the palace carried no sort of documentation to indicate their origin or plans, not even the supposed leader. As such, we have no leads at present.” 

“No leads?” Chrom practically scoffed. “It must have been Plegia! So soon after the Mad King openly declared war on us… He would do anything to get the Emblem.” He turned to speak to his older sister next. “It’s too dangerous for you to stay here, Emm. Come with us to Regna Ferox.”

The three of them stood in the main throne room, along with Lissa, Frederick, and Marth. 

After everything that had just happened, it felt almost wrong to leave Robin sitting out in the courtyard. Especially after everything that had happened to her specifically. But once again, there was nothing that could be done for it. 

“Chrom, I cannot leave our people without a leader,” Emmeryn argued. “War is at our borders; they must know that their exalt stands with them.” 

“Emm, you can’t just… What if something happened to you because you didn’t go somewhere safe? What would the people do then?” Her brother countered. 

Frederick stepped forward just then.

“If I may… Perhaps you might consider relocating to the eastern keep instead, Your Grace?” The brunet knight suggested. “The other kingdoms know nothing of it; you might be safer there without leaving the halidom.”

“Yes, please, at least that,” Chrom said to Emmeryn, agreeing with Frederick. “If I go on the trip back up to Ferox, I can’t leave knowing that you’re right in harm’s way.”

“I don’t think I could either,” Lissa chimed in. She had stayed quiet up until that point, unsure of what she could add to the conversation. “And even if I didn’t end up going, I wouldn’t really feel safe staying here.” 

Emmeryn let out a resigned sigh, but it was followed by a faint smile. “Very well. If it will put your minds at ease.” 

“Perfect. Thank you, Emm. We can escort you there ourselves tomorrow, on our way up north,” Chrom offered. 

“There is one other issue that needs to be resolved before we leave, however,” the exalt pointed out. 

“What do you mean?” The blue-haired prince wondered. 

“Shall Robin stay here at the capital, accompany me at the eastern keep, or travel with you to Regna Ferox?” 

“I… Oh. I hadn’t even considered that…” Chrom admitted a bit sheepishly.

“Whatever happens, I don’t think she should stay here by herself,” Lissa said, offering her own thoughts on the matter. “From what I could tell, it didn’t seem like there was anything seriously wrong with her, but… I don’t know. I’d feel a lot better if she had one of us to look out for her, y’know?” 

“Right… Taking her to Regna Ferox might be the better of the two options then,” Chrom decided. “It’ll give the Khans a chance to meet her, and that  _ was _ something I’d spoken to Flavia about before we returned to Ylisstol. Of course, I think it was assumed that that would happen a little farther into the future.”

“Given the circumstances, I’m sure they’ll understand why they would be meeting her much sooner than expected,” Frederick stated.

“So then it’s safe to assume that Robin will be traveling with us, yes?” Emmeryn confirmed. 

“It may not be the most… pleasant route, but I’m certain that if we take the eastern road through Breakneck Pass, we should be able to avoid the towns between here and the keep, and get there in the shortest amount of time,” Phila pointed out. 

“Alright. It’s settled then,” Chrom declared. He then turned to Marth, who was standing several paces away from the others, as if she thought she didn't belong in the conversation. She’d been quiet up to that point, and Chrom almost feared that she’d pulled another one of her vanishing acts. “Marth, will you… will you join us?” he asked, taking a few steps closer to her.

She seemed hesitant at first. Uncertain. But after a moment, the blue-haired swordswoman spoke. “If you’ll have me, I would be glad to accompany you.” 

“Good. O-Oh, before I forget. You haven’t been formally introduced to my sister yet, have you? My older sister, that is.” He turned back to face Emmeryn. “Emm, this is Marth. It’s thanks to her that we were able to get to you in time.” 

Marth bowed her head respectfully. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.” 

“You’re certainly living up to that name,” Emmeryn noted with one of her warm smiles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. Thank you for all of your help.” She then addressed everyone else gathered in the room. “If we’re going to head out tomorrow, I would suggest that we all get some sleep.”

“I shall inform the rest of the Shepherds, milord,” Frederick offered, speaking to Chrom.

The Ylissean prince nodded in acknowledgement. “And I’ll go let Robin know.”

 

* * *

 

When Chrom stepped out into the courtyard once more, he greeted by a familiar sight. Just like when they’d first met, Robin was laying on her side with eyes closed and arms resting in front of her. 

This time around, her cloak was folded up under her head to be used as a pillow, and given the confines of the gardens, her legs were bent somewhat so that they were closer to her body, taking up less space. 

As he got closer, those stormy gray eyes fluttered open.

“Mmm...?” Robin murmured softly. Her voice was barely audible. She yawned soon after that, covering her mouth with one hand. 

Chrom had to stop himself from yawning in return. 

“I didn’t wake you, did I?” He wondered. 

Robin shook her head. “I was just resting my eyes… Is everything alright?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” Chrom remarked with a chuckle. “We’re taking Emm to the eastern keep tomorrow; it’s safer there, not many people know about it. Then we’ll be headed north, back up to Regna Ferox,” he explained. “I want you to come with us.” 

“You want me to, or you’re telling me to?” She asked in a playful, lighthearted manner. Her voice still sounded tired, though, like she was trying to fight off sleep.  

_ Same old Robin, _ Chrom thought to himself.  

Nothing about her had changed, save for those horns that had sprouted out from the sides of her head. They reminded him almost of wyvern horns, in some ways. As the moon climbed higher and higher into the sky, its pale glow made them glisten faintly. 

“And here I thought you’d jump at the opportunity to go someplace new,” he teased. 

“I don’t think you want me jumping for anything. ‘Fraid I might topple the whole castle,” she joked. But then her expression turned a bit more somber. “…You guys are worried about me, aren’t you?” 

“Of course. Can you blame us?”

The white-haired giantess shook her head again. 

“Chrom, that man… the leader of the assassins… he knew me. He  _ recognized  _ me. I could see it in his eyes.”

“Do you… I don’t suppose you have any idea what he tried to do to you?” 

“I don’t know for sure, but I… I think he was trying to… to control me? It felt like… like he was trying to get me to do something,” Robin tried to explain. 

“You don’t think he’s the one who… who made you a giant, do you?” Chrom questioned.

“I… I don’t– No. No, I don’t think so,” Robin stammered, uncertain at first, but then finding conviction. “He seemed surprised that I was like this. He might’ve known something about it, if only just a little, but… I don’t think he was responsible.” 

She let out a sigh, deep and heavy.

“Robin, whoever that man was, and whatever he wanted– whatever he knew– it doesn’t matter,” Chrom stated firmly. “Don’t forget, I told you that I would help you get back to normal. We will figure this out. Together.”

“Th… Thank you, Chrom. Thank you so much.” 

“You don’t need to thank me. And besides, even if that man’s dead, he’s still given us a lead,” he started. “Those assassins were from Plegia; I’m sure of it. If that man really did know something, then–”

“Then maybe the answers we need are there,” she finished for him. 

“Exactly. Once this war’s over, that’s the first place we’ll look,” he promised.

“All the more reason to put an end to it sooner, huh?” She remarked optimistically.

Chrom nodded, then was silent for a moment before speaking again. “... It’s getting pretty late. If we’re going to be travelling tomorrow, we should both get some sleep.” 

“Yeah…” Robin agreed. 

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a sudden movement from Robin stopped Chrom in his tracks. She reached for him, gently taking his hand between her thumb and index finger. 

“Do you think… Could you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?” 

“O-Oh, sure, if you want me to,” Chrom agreed. “…Robin, are you _sure_ you’re alright?”

Instead of answering, Robin pulled him right off his feet. He fell into her hand, splayed out across her palm, and then she brought him closer as she rested her hand beside her head.

“Robin, what are y–” Chrom was about to ask.

“Shhh…” she whispered almost soothingly. “Just ‘til I fall asleep,” she repeated, stroking his head gently with her thumb. 

Chrom had to admit that it wasn’t unpleasant. 

“You saved me, Chrom. Did you know that?” Robin murmured softly. She didn’t wait for him to answer. “When that man was… doing whatever he was doing… I heard your voice when I couldn’t hear anything else. I… I already said thank you, but I feel like I have to thank you again. I owe you and Emmeryn and Lissa and… all the others so much…” 

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he just nodded. 

Her voice was somewhat slurred as she spoke. Not like a drunk, but she definitely sounded like she was exhausted. That magic must’ve taken a lot out of her; more than she’d shown earlier.

… 

It wasn’t long before Robin eventually drifted off to sleep, with Chrom still sitting there in her hand. The night air was a bit chilly, but he could hardly feel it with Robin’s warmth surrounding him. And from where he sat, her breath washed over him like a gentle and constant breeze. He was about ready to fall asleep himself. 

Gods, it was truly stunning when she looked so peaceful like that. The relaxed serenity on her face stood in stark contrast to the pain he’d seen on it when that man had used his magic on her.  He remembered it vividly. The way her brow furrowed. The way her jaw set. The way her eyes stared but didn’t see. He hoped he would never have to see that again. It nearly broke his heart to watch her suffering like that.

And hearing her words… Hearing Robin say that he had been the one pull her out of that trance-like state… He didn’t really know how to feel about that. On one hand there was relief, and on the other there was fear. Fear of it happening again, and him not being there to stop it. 

Chrom couldn’t help but wonder… would it be wrong of him to just stay where he was for the night? To spend the night with Robin?  Frederick and Lissa would probably give him quite the earful in the morning for pulling a stunt like that. And maybe even Robin herself would. He could already hear her calling him ridiculous in that half-amused, half-exasperated tone. 

He knew it would be reckless to stay, when it was possible that Robin could toss and turn in her sleep, and accidentally hurt him in the process. No matter how much he trusted her, and  _ Gods _ did he trust her, it didn’t change the fact that she could be dangerous without meaning to be.

But Chrom didn't want to leave her alone tonight. Not after what she’d told him.

…  

Robin was right.

He truly was ridiculous. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmm fluff  
> fluff fluff fluff fluff fluff
> 
>  
> 
> ~~im always a slut for fluff~~


	14. Warning Signs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which a few bumps in the road are encountered._   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speaking of warnings, this chapter ended up being waaaaay longer than I anticipated; almost a thousand words more than the former longest chapter. Haha, fun times :p
> 
> There're some parts of this chapter that I really like in terms of writing, but others where I really kinda wish I could've done better. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Could've been a whole lot worse. Fight scenes, man. Fights scenes will always be my weakness. :'D

“I think Frederick nearly had a heart attack when he went to wake you this morning,” Lissa pointed out. “I could hear him yelling all the way from my room.”

“I know,” Chrom remarked with a sigh. “I could hear him all the way from the courtyard.”

“I can’t say I blame him. You nearly gave _me_ a heart attack,” Robin piped up from where she stood behind the two siblings.

The three of them brought up the rear of the exalt’s small traveling party as the group neared Breakneck Pass, with Robin taking her usual slow and patient steps to keep pace with the others.

It was a fairly decent-sized group, consisting of the Shepherds, Marth, Phila, and Emmeryn. There was another man accompanying them as well; an elderly fellow who Chrom referred to as ‘the hierarch.’ Robin hadn’t met him prior to today, but he did know about her, seeing as he was a member of the royal council.

Apparently, he was one of Emmeryn’s most trusted advisors; one of the people who had helped guide her back when she’d first taken up the title of Exalt.

To Robin, he seemed like a rather amiable man, soft-spoken and yet… quite nervous. Not just around her, it seemed, but… Well, maybe that was just his disposition. With war looming over the halidom, it certainly wasn’t unreasonable for _anyone_ to be nervous.

“You do know you didn’t have to stay the whole night, right?” The white-haired giantess went on, speaking to Chrom.

“I didn’t _have_ to, but I _wanted_ to,” he countered. “How are you holding up, by the way?”

“What, with walking? This is nothing,” she said with a smile.

“Well, I’m glad it’s so easy for _you_ , Robin. Meanwhile, some of us are starting to get blisters!” Lissa complained, only half-joking.

“Oh, come on, Lissa. It’s not that bad,” Chrom chuckled.

“Easy for you to say! You’re practically superhuman!” Lissa objected. “Robin, I think you’re going to have to carry me. I’m not gonna last much longer,” she gushed overdramatically, the hint of a grin tugging at her lips.

Robin couldn’t help but smile at the cleric’s feigned theatrics.

“I can, if you really want me to,” she offered.

“You don’t have to do that, Robin. Lissa’s just fine,” The blue-haired prince stated.

“Chrom, I think you and I need to have a talk about _speaking for yourself,_ ” Lissa insisted, practically glaring daggers at her brother.

Just as a laugh was about to find its way past Robin’s lips, she noticed that the others ahead of them had come to a sudden stop.

It didn’t take long for her to figure out why.

Any trace of laughter immediately faded.

_Wyvern riders._

Hovering in formation above the rocky terrain, Robin counted at least two dozen soldiers, all wearing Plegian-style armor. The late morning sun reflected off of the maroon-colored scales of their mounts, making them hard to miss.

“Chrom, I think… I think you might be needed up at the front,” Robin stated after moving to crouch down. There was no way the wyvern riders could’ve missed her either, but she still adopted the defensive stance nonetheless.

“How could they have known…?” He mumbled in disbelief, eyes focused on the Plegian soldiers ahead of them. Shaking his head, he turned to look at Robin. “I’ll have Phila bring Emm to you. Lissa, let’s go.”

Both girls nodded, with Robin lying in wait and Lissa following after her brother.

However, halfway to the vanguard, the two Ylissean royals skidded to a stop when one of the wyvern riders came swooping down, alone. The man landed several yards away from the front of their convoy, standing in his saddle but not dismounting.

Robin could only assume he was some kind of general or commander, especially based on the adornments of his armor. And he definitely had that kind of air about him.

She didn’t like the cocky grin he wore on his face.

The man looked like he was about to say something, but before he could even open his mouth, the hierarch ran forward, hands help up as a sign of peace.

“Hold sir! You’re General Vasto, yes? I'm the man King Gangrel told you about! You received orders to take me into your protection,” the elderly Ylissean exclaimed.

“I’ve orders to protect a man, yes,” the one called Vasto spoke, his voice a lazy, almost aloof drawl. “But I see no man before me; only a pig!”

Robin couldn’t believe what she was hearing. None of them could.

“But I– King Gangrel promised that–” the hierarch stammered.

“Far as I can recall, my King didn’t _promise_ anything,” Vasto cut him off. “Especially not to a rasher of traitorous bacon that sold out its own sovereign! You do know what we do with little piggies, don’t you?”

“Y-You… T-That is, I mean, perhaps you… let them go free?” The hierarch tried nervously.

Vasto actually laughed at that. “Not quite, I’m afraid.”

In the blink of an eye, his wyvern took to the air, clutching the hierarch in its talons as it climbed higher and higher. No one had time to react as the Ylissean priest was dropped into the canyon below.

His shrieks of terror rose as he fell, all the way down. A fall that Robin wasn’t even sure _she_ could survive.

Screaming, screaming, screaming.

And then silence.

It all happened so fast, yet it felt like an eternity.

“Right then, now onto the main event!” Vasto bellowed almost gleefully as he circled back to regroup with his men. “Unless the rest of you want to join your traitor of a comrade, give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a ruler!”

“Shepherds, assume formation!” Frederick’s own words rang out, pulling everyone else out of their dazed stupor.

Chrom and Lissa resumed their race to the forefront, and before Chrom could even give her the order, Phila was already flying back toward Robin with Emmeryn sitting behind her in the saddle. The Fire Emblem was strapped to the exalt’s back, partially obscured by her cloak.

This was it; the moment Robin had longed for. The first time she could actually be here with the Shepherds when they fought. The first time she could truly help them in a fight the best way she knew how.

“I’ll look out for Emm; you and Sumia need to get Ricken and Virion to ride with you,” Robin told the azure-haired pegasus knight after she landed. “You four and Miriel are the only ones who’ll be on equal footing with these guys.”

Phila nodded, seeing reason in Robin’s logic.

Without any hesitation, Emmeryn stepped down from Phila’s pegasus and onto Robin’s waiting hand. And then, using her free hand, Robin shielded Emmeryn from view, and from any potential attacks.

“Miriel! Ride with Frederick!” The white-haired giantess called over to her scholarly friend.

In terms of armor, he and Kellam were probably the most well-equipped for taking a hit from those wyverns and their axe-wielding riders, but Miriel would need Frederick’s mobility to get her across the battlefield quickly.

It was quite amazing really; as Robin called out several more instructions, the Shepherds heeded her words without question. Perhaps it was the confidence in her tone, or just the things she said making the most sense, but they did what she advised, and that was all that mattered.

Robin didn’t need to specify what her plans were; the intentions were clear. All she had to do was tell them how to position themselves, and the rest came naturally.

The Shepherds fought well, in spite of the wyvern riders’ aerial advantage. When the winged reptiles swooped down to attack, they were quick to dodge or block the blows when they could. They even managed to land plenty of hits of their own before the wyverns returned to the safety of the sky.

Those on the ground held tight formations that made them almost impossible to pick off, while Ricken and Virion flew with Sumia and Phila and attacked from a distance. Their respective wind magic and arrows were doing quite a number on the few wyvern riders they’d managed to hit so far.

And even if Robin couldn’t directly aid in the fighting, just being there felt… good.

What _didn’t_ feel good was the axe blade that suddenly found itself partially imbedded in her cheek, not far below her eye. It stung, but it didn’t hurt too bad.

“I still can’t believe that old loon wasn’t as loony as we thought!” Vasto cackled, calling down to her as he hovered several yards away.  “How’d they manage to hide a freak like you?”

Robin didn't answer him, only glaring as she held Emmeryn closer.

“Cold shoulder, huh? Or can you even talk at all, _freak?”_ He jeered, circling around above her now, almost like a vulture.

“This battle is pointless. Even if you somehow managed to kill the others, you can’t stop me and you can’t get the exalt,” she retorted.

“Ha! So the monster _does_ speak!” The Plegian general taunted. “Although, that’s quite presumptuous, isn’t it? Do you _really_ think your divine little exalt would just sit back and watch while all her precious comrades here _die_ for her?” He challenged.

Robin could feel Emmeryn flinch in response to those words, but other than that, the Ylissean ruler remained as still as possible in Robin’s grasp.

“Did you not hear me, or are you as stupid as you look?” She countered. “I said _even if_ you managed to kill the others. You cowards could never hope to win.”

“Y’know, that arrogance was cute at first, but now it’s just annoying,” Vasto shot back. He then dove down toward her at an almost blinding speed.

Robin never would’ve expected such a bold move, and with both hands currently occupied, there wasn’t much she could do in response. Sitting on her knees in her crouched position, she couldn’t even really move away, save for leaning back from the oncoming attack.

Though his mount showed some reluctance at the maneuver, Vasto flew right by Robin’s face, grabbing the handle of the axe in her cheek and yanking it out as he passed. He dragged it across her skin, creating a much longer cut before returning to a distance that was out of Robin’s reach.

The stinging intensified, but again, it was nothing she couldn't handle. As a streak of blood dribbled down the side of her face, she wiped it off on the shoulder of her cloak, trying to keep her hands steady for Emmeryn’s sake.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” Robin called up to Vasto mockingly.

The Plegian general looked like he was about to say something in response, but he was interrupted by an arrow as it tore through the wing of his wyvern. The scaly beast cried out in pain as two more arrows quickly followed the first.

Out of the corner of her eye, Robin could see Phila flying in their direction, with Virion sitting behind her as he fired off shots from his bow almost inhumanly fast. It’d been so long since she’d last seen him in action, Robin almost forgot just how skilled he was.

He didn’t call himself the “archest of archers” for nothing.

Vasto’s mount seemed like it was barely keeping itself aloft, and with an irritated look on his face, the Plegian general reluctantly pulled back, out of Virion’s range.

“Are you alright, my sweet Robin?” The blue-haired archer called down to her. She would’ve rolled her eyes if she wasn’t so used to his flirtatious way of speaking.

“I’m fine. Just a scratch,” the white-haired giantess replied. “How are you holding up, Emm?” She asked, speaking softer than before as she drew her attention down to her hands. She moved the one that was shielding Emmeryn a tiny bit, just enough so that they could make eye contact.

“I thought you were the one doing the holding,” the exalt joked with feigned confusion, trying to lighten the mood somewhat. Robin couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Well, I can see where Lissa gets her sense of humor,” Robin noted softly, an almost faint laughter in her tone.

“Robin! Emm! Are you alright?” Chrom’s voice suddenly rang out, drawing both young women’s attentions.

Due to previously being distracted by Vasto, Robin only just now noticed how much the tides had turned in their favor. Scanning the battlefield, she saw that at least half the riders and their mounts lay dead and defeated, and there were even a few wyverns left with no one controlling them.

All of the remaining soldiers were retreating, including Vasto himself.

They’d done it. The Shepherds had done it. Despite the odds, despite being ambushed and outnumbered, they had won this fight.

To Robin, it seemed like it’d been over so soon. Surely battles like this weren’t supposed to end that quickly…? Well, the Shepherds were some of Ylisse’s most capable fighters, after all; maybe she shouldn’t have been all too taken aback by how well they fought.

“We’re both alright,” she responded, carefully lowering Emmeryn down to the ground. The Ylissean ruler stepped down off of Robin’s hand, ready to greet her brother as he rushed over to them. The rest of the Shepherds weren’t far behind him; they didn’t crowd around, but they did gather close by.

“Here, Robin, I can heal that cut for you!” Lissa offered, although it was more like an order.

“It’s not that bad,” Robin insisted.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Lissa chided. “C’mon, at least let me take a look!”

Not wanting to argue, Robin did as she was told, slowly leaning down so that Lissa could get a better look. It must’ve been a pretty amusing sight for the others to behold; watching a fifty-foot-tall woman bend to the whims of a young princess.

Without even really examining the wound, Lissa almost immediately held up her staff and began the healing ritual. The blonde cleric was finished before Robin even caught on to the trick. Even if she had realized it sooner, Robin probably wouldn’t have done anything to stop it anyway.

“That was awful sneaky of you,” The white-haired giantess noted playfully, carefully moving to sit up again after Lissa took a few steps back.

“Y’know, if there’s one thing you and my brother have in common, it’s that you’re both terrible about getting your wounds treated,” Lissa commented with a playful smile of her own. “If I have to be a little sneaky, then so be it!”

“It really wasn’t that bad, Lissa,” Robin insisted once more. “You shouldn’t go wasting your staff on me.”

“What, this old thing? I’m gonna need a new one soon anyway. Besides, it’s not a waste!” Lissa objected. “ _Gods_ , you really are as bad as Chrom.”

“I can hear you, you know,” the blue-haired lord called over to his little sister.

“Good! Maybe you’ll actually listen this time!” She shot back. Turning to Robin again, she said, “Alright, I’m gonna go help Maribelle look after the others now, so don’t you worry.”

“Thank you, Lissa,” Robin stated sincerely. The young cleric replied with a ‘you’re welcome,’ and then went off to join her fellow healer.

Luckily, there didn’t appear to be much healing that needed to be done. As cocky as it sounded, Robin wanted to believe that was at least partially thanks to her. And though no one said it out loud, the others had certainly been impressed by her quick thinking.

Sitting up fully, Robin stretched out her back and arms, allowing her muscles to loosen up a bit. That battle hadn’t been the only tense thing, it seemed.

Off in the distance, she could just barely make out the remaining wyvern riders fleeing west; back toward Plegia, if Robin had to guess. She watched until they became near-invisible specks on the horizon, until they completely vanished from sight.

But then a new speck came into view, traveling from almost the same direction that the wyvern riders had been heading toward, only a little more northward than where they’d gone.

It wasn’t until that speck drew closer that Robin was able to make out a very familiar combination of red and white.

_Cordelia._

Heading straight for Breakneck Pass, she was flying her pegasus faster than Robin had ever seen before. And the closer she got, more and more signs of trouble were revealed.

She and her mount both looked ragged and wounded; not severely, but it was bad enough to be noticeable.

“Your Grace! My prince!” The red-headed pegasus knight shouted once she was within range. “You must keep moving! More Plegians are coming, not a half day’s march behind us!”

That bit of information had everyone’s attention in an instant. Especially when Cordelia almost collapsed to her knees when she dismounted. Her whole body was wracked with tremors, and she looked horribly shaken up.

Maribelle and Lissa rushed to her side and immediately the two healers began treating both Cordelia and her pegasus. Phila was quick to join them, though not for the purposes of treating wounds.

“Cordelia, what happened? What are you doing here?” She questioned. The worry is her voice was clear as day. “Please… tell me the border remains secure.”

“I… I would be lying if I told you that, milady,” Cordelia answered, voice struggling to find its way out. “The Mad King himself led the charge against us. We all… My knight-sisters and I… We all would’ve been slaughtered had they not sent me off to warn you. But they… I…” she stammered, and Robin could hear just how hard she was trying to hold back tears.

“Peace, Cordelia. You… You’ve done well,” Phila praised, though she was having some difficulty taking in such news. “Your squadron rightly put their faith in your youth. You have many years left ahead of you to keep their legacy alive.”

“But, Captain Phila, I… I left them! I _abandoned_ them!” Cordelia objected. Choked sobs were starting to break through as her hands clenched into fists at her side. “I’m such a coward… Their legacy deserves so much better.”

“Sometimes fleeing takes the most courage,” The azure-haired woman stated, stepping closer so that she could rest her hands on the younger girl’s shoulders. “Had you stayed, you all would have perished, and there would be no one to deliver us this news in time. Your knight-sisters knew that. Let their faith in you give you strength.”

Cordelia could only bring herself to nod in response, and with that, Phila returned to Emmeryn’s side. Sumia took her place to come stand with Cordelia.

The two friends shared a quick embrace as Sumia tried to comfort Cordelia the best she could.

Robin wished there was some kind of comfort she could offer as well, but those thoughts were pushed aside when Emmeryn spoke.

“I must return to the capital.”

Phila looked taken aback. “Your Grace, I cannot advise–”

“I never should have left,” the exalt interrupted her. “If it is discovered that I am away when this news comes to light… The people may panic. Riot even,” she went on before turning to her brother. “Here, Chrom. I want you to have this.” She unfastened the golden-colored shield from her back, holding it out for Chrom to take.

“The… The Fire Emblem? Emm, I can’t take this,” the Ylissean prince disagreed, even as he grasped the artifact in his hands.

“You can, and you must. Take it with you to Regna Ferox. To safety,” she urged. “No part of House Ylisse matters more than this, but too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did in me.”

“Emm, come on. You can’t… Don’t talk like that! I’m not taking the Emblem, and I’m not leaving you,” he argued. “If you’re going back to the capital, then I’m coming with you.”

“I’m coming too!” Lissa cut in. She’d left Cordelia’s side to come stand before her older brother and sister.

“No. Both of you, listen to me; you will go to Regna Ferox. That is an order from your exalt,” Emmeryn declared sternly. This was a side of her that Robin wasn’t used to– that none of them were used to. “Phila will accompany me, but the Shepherds will march on.”

“Th–That’s not fair!” Lissa objected. Now she was on the verge of tears. “It’s not! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!”

“Walking to your own death won’t bring peace to anyone! Ylisse needs you. _We_ need you. Gods, Emm… Can’t you just be selfish _for once_ in your life?” Chrom went on.

There was a tense moment of silence before Emmeryn spoke again.

“… I love you, Chrom. You and Lissa are my everything, but as for the peace I seek… You don’t yet see who it’s for,” she stated solemnly, pulling both of them in for a hug. They reciprocated the gesture, albeit with some reluctance. “I’m sorry. I truly am, but I have to go.”

“This is a terrible plan,” Chrom said with a heavy sigh.

“You and I will keep Ylisse safe; I believe that with all of my heart. Safe journeys, both of you,” Emmeryn wished upon her younger siblings. “Let us embrace again in Ylisstol. I know you’ll come.”

And with that, the exalt turned and was about to make her way over to Phila’s pegasus. Before her azure-haired retainer followed after her, Phila turned to speak to Cordelia.

“I want you to stay with Lord Chrom and the Shepherds.”

She looked like she wanted to object, but Cordelia accepted without resistance. “Y-Yes, Captain. I’ll pray for your safety.”

However, Emmeryn and Phila didn’t get very far when Robin placed a hand down in front of them, effectively blocking their path.

“I-If you’re not going to let Chrom or Lissa come with you, then I would ask that you let me.” Her voice shook a bit, but there was clear resolve behind it.

“Robin, I don’t think–” Emmeryn started.

“I’m sorry, but I-I’m not taking no for an answer,” she asserted, even as she moved her hand out of the way. “I… I won’t stop you from leaving, but… you can’t stop me from coming along.”

Everyone else was left surprised by those words.

Until now, Chrom hadn’t realized just how much he’d taken Robin’s compliancy for granted. Lissa had joked about it several times in the past, but… they truly couldn’t force Robin to do anything she didn’t want to do. And that also meant they couldn’t force her _not_ to do something she _did_ want to do.

Until now, it hadn’t ever really been an issue; Robin had never done something like this before. The incident at the border was as close as it got, but even then Robin hadn’t directly defied anyone. Not technically, at least.

“Alright, Robin. If you insist, then you’re right; we cannot stop you,” Emmeryn conceded. She sounded tired. Defeated almost. As if her argument with Chrom and Lissa had left her unwilling to argue with anyone else. “You’ll be staying in the courtyard again, I presume?”

Robin nodded. She then got to her feet as Phila and Emmeryn both climbed into Phila’s saddle. It was after she started taking her first few steps that Chrom finally pulled himself away from his thoughts.

“Robin, wait!” He called out to her. To Robin’s credit, she actually stopped, turning to look down at him. Now more than ever he wished they could be at eye level. “I… I don’t suppose there’s anything I can say that will convince you to stay with me?”

She smiled a sad, bittersweet smile as she shook her head. “This is something I have to do. I’ll keep Emmeryn safe. I promise.”

“She’s not the only one I’m worried about.”

“Everything will be just fine, I’m sure of it.”

“You’re ridiculous,” he sighed, though there was a faint bit of laughter underlying those words as he smiled up at her.

“I know.”


	15. Deserts and Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which everyone waits, whether they want to or not._   
> 

The atmosphere was tense as they stood in the Feroxi throne room, waiting to hear news of Ylisstol’s fate.

‘They’ being Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Marth, and Flavia.

It was dead silent as the five of them remained lost in their own worried thoughts.

The rest of the Shepherds were out in the main foyer, and the best troops Regna Ferox had to offer were already assembled and prepared to march; they only needed the orders from their Khan. Combined with the Shepherds, and the rest of Ylisse’s army, putting down Plegia’s assault on their country would be a far less daunting task.

When they had first arrived back in Regna Ferox, Chrom had been too numb to care about the harsh, freezing air that greeted them. His focus was solely on getting to Flavia. On telling her what had happened. On distracting himself from his worries over Emm and Robin.

With those first two goals complete, Chrom found it difficult to accomplish the third.

It seemed like eons had passed by the time Basilio came bursting through the large chamber doors, causing nearly everyone in the room in flinch in surprise.  

“Good gods, Chrom, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” The West Khan exclaimed.

“Where else would he be, you big oaf?” Flavia quipped.

“Have you received word from the capital?” Chrom cut in before the two of them could continue their usual banter any further.

“Our scouts have just reported back. Dark news, I’m afraid,” Basilio declared. “Ylisstol… has fallen.”

“Gods, no…” Chrom murmured in disbelief.

“W-What about Emmeryn? Where is she? Is she alright?” Lissa questioned, her face pale with worry. Basilio averted his gaze away from the young princess and down toward the floor when she asked those questions, giving the others enough of an answer.

“The Plegians captured your exalt and retreated back across their lines,” he answered. “Gangrel has declared that she’s to be executed publically within the moon.”

If Chrom thought Lissa’s face was pale before, it was white as a sheet now.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but all that came out was a soft, distressed moan as she slowly collapsed to her knees, trembling. Chrom knelt down beside his little sister, resting a hand on her back. She looked like she was going to be sick.

“That’s not all,” Basilio added. He sounded reluctant to share what he was about to say next. Chrom turned his head away from Lissa, staring at the older man expectantly. “…They took Robin, too.”

Up until that point, Chrom had been trying his damnedest to keep calm, not only for Lissa’s sake, but for the rest of the Shepherds as well. As their leader, he had to consider how his actions affected everyone.

That was advice Emmeryn had given him; she’d always warned him about being too reckless.

But that was the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.

“What do you mean they _took_ Robin?!” Chrom practically screamed at Basilio. “She’s fifty feet tall, how could they _take_ her?!”

“Scouts say it must’ve been some kind of sedative,” Basilio explained, remaining calm in the face of Chrom’s outburst. “They had ballista with them; fired a dozen or so bolts into her before she collapsed. Still alive, but definitely out cold. Took about forty or so men and horses to drag her to the border.”

“What… What the hell does the Mad King even want with her?” The Ylissean prince demanded. Imagining the scenario that just been described to him, he was left even angrier.

“We don’t know for sure,” Basilio admitted. “Gangrel didn’t make any special announcements about her, only Lady Emmeryn. If I had to guess? I’d say he doesn’t like the idea of his enemies having a giant on their side.”

“The dastard’s not even trying to be subtle anymore...” Flavia scoffed under her breath. “It’s obviously a trap.”

“The Mad King knew our scouts would relay this information back to us. We should consider our options carefully before–”

“We march to Plegia. _Now_.” Chrom cut off the West Khan, a fierce tone to his voice.

“Well, that would be one option, yes, but I think we’ve had enough royals waltzing into traps for one war, don’t you?” Basilio pointed out.

“I don’t care if it’s a trap, Basilio, I have to stop him! He’s going to murder my sister and do gods only know what to Robin!” Chrom argued. With his fists clenched at his sides, he looked about ready to break something.

“Calm yourself, Chrom,” Flavia ordered. “Breathe a moment. No one is suggesting that we don’t act, but we must act wisely.”

“I… I promised I would help her, Flavia. I promised I would help Robin, and now she’s in danger because of me,” Chrom protested, his anger at the situation slowly being replaced with anger at himself.

“You can’t help her _or_ your sister if you just rush in blindly without a good plan,” Flavia reminded him. “I know it’s not my place to say this, but I’m sure neither of those women would want you getting yourself killed over them.”

“F-Flavia’s right, Chrom. I… I want to save Robin and Emmeryn just as badly as you do, but… but I don’t want to lose you either!” Lissa insisted after her senses returned to her.

“You're… You’re right. You’re _both_ right,” he conceded a bit reluctantly. “We’ll come up with a plan, and we’ll save both of them. Together.”

“I… I might have a few suggestions,” Marth spoke up.

She certainly had a habit of waiting for just the right moment to speak.

Chrom turned to her, a faint trace of hope finding its way across his features. “I’d love to hear them.”

 

* * *

 

As Robin’s mind slowly crawled out of its dark and hazy state, the first thing that came to her attention was the heat.

The air was dry and arid. It was almost completely stagnant as well, save for a rare breeze every now and then, but that faint bit of wind offered no relief from the assault of sweltering sun. Even with her eyes closed, Robin could tell its rays were blindingly bright, and they offered little protection from such intensity.

Everything else came to her slowly, revealed in little bits and pieces of sensory information as she fought her way back to consciousness.

Her mouth was almost as dry as the air around her, and Robin didn’t think she’d ever craved water more desperately than right now.

Then there was the pounding headache, like someone was smashing a hammer against her skull over and over and over. She couldn’t remember if she’d ever gotten drunk before, but she imagined this was what a hangover felt like. The constant throbbing made it difficult for her to focus on much else, but she managed.

Because after that, when she tried to cover her face with one arm, Robin realized that, from the neck down, she was unable to move.

Her eyelids flew open as she came to that realization, which turned out to be a bad idea.

The harsh sunlight she’d felt beating down on her now burned her vision, and she was forced to close her eyes again, just as quickly as she’d opened them.

The second time around, she opened them slowly, squinting against the brightness. Once she adjusted to its intensity, Robin was finally able to see exactly why she couldn’t move. Her body was almost entirely restrained, bound with several different kind of materials, ranging from plain fiber ropes to solid steel chains.

To say she was confused would be a laughable understatement.

As she continued to take in and process her surroundings, her memory of how she’d ended up in this situation was… questionable at best. She remembered parting ways with Chrom at Breakneck Pass, and returning to Ylisstol with Emmeryn and Phila, but most of details after that started to blur and fade.

One thing was certain; something had gone very, _very_ wrong.

A distant voice reached Robin’s ears just then; it didn’t sound close to her, but it didn’t sound terribly far away either.

“How much longer until the men are ready to move out again?”

“Another day at least,” another voice answered. Both were male, though the first speaker sounded notably older than the other.

“Surely you can get done faster than that! It can’t take _that_ long to restock the supplies.”

“Aye, if it were as simple as just restocking,” the second man remarked. “As I’m sure you can imagine, my men and I aren’t use to transporting such… unique cargo.”

 _Unique cargo, huh?_ Robin mused, turning her head in their direction.

The first thing she noticed was not the men, but the smooth desert terrain that surrounded them; golden sand as far as her eyes could see. Although, she did make out a village on the horizon, not too far from her current location.

The two men she’d heard talking stood several yards away. Even if she’d been free to move her arms, they still would’ve been just out of her reach.

Based on their attire, they were definitely Plegian, though she’d already discerned that much from their accents. Both had somewhat dark and sunkissed skin, while one man was dressed in crimson and purple sorcerers’ robes, and the other wore clothing that was much more practical for the environment; the fabric was light in both material and color, loosely fitting the second man’s taller, lean form.

About a dozen different questions found themselves on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be asked, and the most important one…

_Where was Emmeryn?_

“Um, h-hello...?” She croaked, her voice coming out scratchy and hoarse. Gods, what she wouldn’t give for some water.

The two men turned to stare at her, seemingly surprised to hear her speak, before the taller man turned back to his darkly dressed companion.

“Was the wyrmsnacht supposed to wear off this soon?”

“Don’t worry. Even if she’s awake, the toxins should still be coursing through her veins; she won’t be going anywhere on her own anytime soon.”

_Toxins._

So she must’ve been given some kind of poison then… Which would’ve explained her headache and her dazed mental state. One question answered, and she hadn’t even had to ask it.

“ _Should?_  That doesn’t sound like a very definitive answer, Chalard. If there’s even the slightest chance that my men could be in danger of–”

“I _said_ don’t worry!” Chalard snapped. “You and your men will be perfectly safe as long as you follow my orders.”

“Considering there’s a war going on, I don’t think safety’s something you can guarantee for anyone,” Robin pointed out. She meant it more sincerely than as an insult, but she didn’t really care if this Chalard fellow perceived it that way.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t at least somewhat satisfied by the irritated glare he gave her.

“I’ll give your men one day before we march on. Use it wisely,” Chalard said to his companion, ignoring Robin’s comment, before he turned to walk away. He was heading off toward the village she’d spotted earlier. The other man followed after him, but not before looking over his shoulder at Robin one last time.

“Should we post a few guards?” He asked Chalard.

“Must you keep making me repeat myself? She’s not going anywhere.”

“That’s not why I– Nevermind,” the taller man huffed.

For just a brief moment, Robin considered calling after them to get them to stop and wait.

Wait… for what, though? So she could try and ask them some questions? Maybe that was part of it, but if Robin was being honest with herself, even if neither of those two men would make good company, she’d much rather have poor company over none at all. She didn’t like the idea of being completely alone right now.

But… they wouldn’t stay. She knew they wouldn’t, especially not if she asked them to. And that was just something she would have to deal with.

For one whole day.

According to Chalard, that was how long she had until those two and however many others they were travelling with would move out.

And wherever they were headed, it was likely that they intended to take Robin with them. _Somehow._

If she had to guess, all the ropes and chains wrapped around her were probably for more than just keeping her restrained.   

With a slight glance upward, Robin could tell that the sun was at about its highest point in the sky, directly overhead. Which obviously meant that it was only around noon at the latest.

Robin let out a long and heavy sigh.

_It’s going to be a long day…_

 

* * *

 

And a long day it was.

Laying there in the desert sands with nothing but her thoughts to occupy the time, Robin was pretty sure that she would die of boredom long before the heat had the chance to get to her.

As the hour grew later and the sun eventually went down, so did the temperature; blazing heat was soon replaced by freezing cold.

Not that Robin minded the change. Her cloak, which had practically smothered her when the sun was up, now served as adequate enough protection from the frigid night air.

She couldn’t remember if she’d ever been to a desert before or not, but the knowledge of such extremes wasn’t new to her. Maybe she _had_ been to one in the past, or maybe she’d just read about it in a book. Not that it mattered right now. Robin was far too exhausted to care about where such information came from, but no matter how hard she tried, sleep wouldn’t come.

With nothing better to do, she’d tried coming up with escape plans. She’d rehearsed several different questions and responses, things she would say if they were asked of her. She’d even attempted to break her way out of her bindings through nothing but sheer strength.

Several times.

To no effect.

The huge amount of ropes and chains was just too much, even for someone of her size. And it certainly didn’t help that the poison still left her in such a weakened state.

She hated this. She hated this so much.

But…

Well, if there was at least one bright side to this awful situation, quite literally, Robin found it as she looked up at the night sky.

The way the stars shined, unhindered by trees or clouds, was absolutely breathtaking. She’d seen the stars plenty of times before, but never quite like this. It was like a silvery river of stardust, winding its way through dark purple-blue fields.

If she just stared at the sky long enough, focused all of her attention on it, then maybe Robin could forget how terribly wrong everything had gone. If only for a short while.  

It almost worked.

Until she felt something warm touch her neck.

The sudden contact made her nearly jump out of her skin, and she couldn’t even move away from it because of her restraints.

Whatever it was, it was very much alive.

Something almost like a surprised squeak made its way passed her lips.

“W-Who’s there?” Robin questioned. She didn’t bother keeping her voice down. Even if it was just some animal, maybe all that noise would scare it off.

“Whoa, you can speak? Awesome!” A young, feminine voice exclaimed, surprising Robin even more. It couldn’t be, but… it almost sounded like… like a little girl. But what on earth could someone so young be doing out in a desert this late at night?

The form resting against her neck shifted and moved, clambering up her cloak before coming to sit on top of her chest. Leaning her head forward, Robin could now see just who had spoken to her.

And she could hardly believe her eyes.

It was, in fact, a young girl. A young girl who looked even younger than Lissa, with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail that faded into a bright green at the tips. Her violet eyes almost seemed to glow in the starlight.

She wore what appeared to be a sleeveless dress made of green scales and fringed with white lace, with a thick pink ribbon around the waist and matching leggings in the same rosy hue. She also wore boots, gloves, and a long flowing cape that were all a dark maroon in color.

Those were hardly the most striking features, though. What drew Robin’s attention the most were the girl’s notably long and pointed ears.

“Hiya! My name’s Nowi! What’s yours?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Felicia voice* Didn't expect that didya? :P  
> Unlike Robin's interesting little... development a few chapters ago, I had this particular event planned out for quite a while. Probably as early as around the time Chapter 4 came out. Needless to say, I've been very excited to get to this point in the story. 
> 
> Also, I decided to base Nowi's outfit off of this artwork I found on twitter; https://twitter.com/mrbluesky/status/641513092665450496  
> because I like it better than her actual outfit ~~for obvious reasons~~


	16. New Faces, New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which Robin finds some interesting new allies._  
> 

“M-My, uh… my name is Robin.”

“Oooh, that’s such a pretty name! Are you a human? I didn’t know humans could grow this big!” Nowi went on energetically, spreading her arms out to emphasize just how ‘big’ Robin was.

Her question certainly caught Robin off guard.

Hell, _everything_ about this girl caught Robin off guard.

“I… I _was_ a human. I-I think. Um, I don’t… I don’t really know what I am now…” the white-haired giantess tried to explain.

“Wow, that’s so cool!” Nowi awed. “I guess I kinda should’ve figured some of that out from your horns, though, huh?” She noted a bit sheepishly. “And your ears are kinda like mine!”

“T-They are?” Robin wondered, sounding genuinely shocked. Most of the time her ears were obscured by her hair, so it was possible that the others hadn’t noticed a change like that.

“A little bit, yeah! They aren’t really long. Compared to the rest of you, I mean. But they are pointed!”

“I… I didn’t even notice,” Robin murmured. “I can’t really see for myself, so I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it.”

“You could feel them with your hands, couldn’t you?”

“Well, I could, but y’know, chains.”

“Oh. Right. Woops! How’d you end up all tied up like this anyway?” Nowi wondered.

“I’m actually… not entirely sure,” Robin admitted. “A group of… soldiers, I think, did this to me. They’re trying to take me somewhere.”

The young girl’s eyes went wide at that. “Did they… Did they take you away from your home?”

Out of all the things Nowi had said so far, that was probably the hardest thing for Robin to respond to.

Home…

She didn’t remember where ‘home’ was. Her old home, anyway, from before she’d met Chrom and the others. She supposed that if she had any place to consider home now, it was her little clearing in the woods behind the castle.

“Kind of,” she finally answered after a moment of hesitation. “They took me away from my friends.”

“That’s awful!” Nowi gushed. “A mean group of humans did that to me, too! Well, two of them actually helped me escape, though. They were really nice! You wouldn’t think it when you first saw them, but I’m a really good judge of character,” she went on. “They’re probably still back at the campsite. They told me to get as far away as I could because the others will probably notice I’m gone soon. But then I saw you out here all by yourself, and I thought, ‘maybe it’s my turn to help someone!’”

Gods, this girl sure knew how to put her at a loss for words.

“T-That’s very kind of you, Nowi, but I’m afraid there isn’t much you can do for me.”

“Sure I can! Don’t worry, I’m a lot stronger than I look!” The young blonde held up a bluish-green stone as she said those words; it was about the size of an egg, dangling from a thread around her neck.

The jewel began to glow in Nowi’s hand, faintly at first, but then it grew into an intense flash of light almost instantly. So bright that it was almost blinding, and so large that it practically consumed Nowi’s form.

A sight that wasn’t unfamiliar to Robin.

Quietly, the white-haired giantess let out slightly surprised “oomph!” when the barely noticeable, feather-light weight of the small girl on her chest was suddenly replaced by something much, _much_ bigger.

Standing before Robin now was a creature not unlike a wyvern in some ways. Reptilian in nature, with scales that were mostly golden in color. Save for her legs, wings, and tail, which were a brilliant shade of green. Her wings, along with the fin-like frills that lined her entire body, looked more like leaves than anything else.

Without a single doubt, Robin knew what she was looking at.

A dragon.

Specifically, a manakete. Robin remembered reading about them with Sumia once, about powerful dragons who lived for thousands of years and had the ability to take on human forms. She’d thought they were more legend than reality, and she certainly never thought she would meet one in person.

And… she was starting to think that maybe Nowi wasn’t quite as young as she’d first assumed.

 _“Surprised?”_ Nowi wondered with a touch of laughter in her voice, which now had a slight echoing quality to it. Not only that, but it also seemed… telepathic?

Robin could only nod in response.

You would think after everything she’d been through, seeing someone transform into a dragon wouldn’t be too terribly unbelievable. And yet she still couldn’t stop herself from staring, speechless, in wide-eyed astonishment.

 _“Most people are,”_ the leafy dragon giggled. _“Time to start breaking these pesky chains!”_

It took quite some time, but with the combination of her sharp talons and powerful jaws, Nowi worked her way through almost each and every binding that held Robin in place. Once enough of them had been snapped, Robin was able to take care of the rest on her own.

Her muscles ached something fierce, and after being inactive for so long, they protested against her movements. But she fought through it, forcing herself to sit up once Nowi flew back a bit and gave her the space to do so.

Remembering the manakete’s words from earlier, Robin slowly reached up to touch one ear, tracing her fingers along its edge. It wasn’t that she thought Nowi was lying, but… she just felt like she had to confirm it for herself.

And the top of her ear did, in fact, taper to a slight point.

She didn’t really know what to do with that information now that she had it, but there it was.

Nowi fluttered over and perched right on Robin’s shoulder after that, not unlike a parrot. But then, in another brief flash of light, the transformation was undone, and she was back in the form of a young girl.

“Piece of cake!” She declared triumphantly. “So… what’s next?”

“I… I don’t know. I need to get back to my friends in Ylisse, but… where were you planning on going?” Robin replied, stammering a bit. All this physical contact was somewhat foreign to her; she wasn’t used to someone as bold as Nowi, so friendly and fearless.

“I didn’t really have a plan,” Nowi admitted. “Maybe I could stay with you, and we could find your friends together?”

“Thank you. I would appreciate that,” she accepted the offer. Robin had a feeling that, like her, Nowi didn’t want to be all alone out here either. “And thank you for freeing me. I don’t think I said that yet.”

“You’re welcome! Ooh, wait! Are your friends big like you?”

Robin chuckled a bit at that question. “No, no. They’re normal s–”

A commotion in the distance, off to her left, interrupted her.

Trying to be mindful of Nowi, she turned her head to look in that direction. Over the sloping dunes that would’ve previously blocked her view, Robin could see the flickering glow of fire. Torches, if she had to guess, based on all the orange dots of light. She could also make out a campsite, and a rather large one at that; the source of the torchlight. It was about a hundred yards away, maybe more.

The sound of men shouting was what’d drawn Robin’s attention in the first place. That far off, she couldn’t make out any words, but it appeared as though a cluster of torches was branching off from the rest, heading her and Nowi’s way.

“Uh oh. That can’t be good,” the manakete noted from her perch.

“We… we should go. Hold on tight, okay?”

“Wait! Look over there!” Nowi insisted, pointing to the front of the oncoming group.

Robin saw two figures running a couple yards ahead of the others, neither carrying any sort of light source. They were veering off, away from where Robin was sitting, and the larger group appeared to be following them.

“I think… I think those are the two humans who helped me get away! D-Do you think they’re in trouble?” Nowi wondered, sounding the tiniest bit nervous.

“If they were found out, then they probably are,” Robin answered truthfully. “We… we could help them, if you want to.”

“I-I do, but… are you sure? Won’t it be dangerous for you to get near those soldiers? What if they tie you up again?”

“I think it’s worth the risk. It’s thanks to those two that you got away, and if it weren’t for that, I’d still be lying here in the sand. So in a way, we both own them one, don’t we?”

“You’re right! C’mon, let’s do it!” Nowi agreed, filled with determination at Robin’s words.

“Alright, but like I said earlier; hold on tight!”

 

* * *

 

“This was such a… stupid plan,” a young woman with ebony hair griped, panting as she ran, and trying to be heard over the soldiers yelling behind them.

The purple mage robes she wore made running a rather difficult task. That, and the fact that her petite figure was not one meant for running in the first place. She struggled to keep up with the mercenary beside her.

“Was good plan! We buy time for little dragon girl, yes?” The ginger-haired man countered. Despite being several years older than his magic-wielding ally, his form was much more fit and well-muscled.

“Ugh, and this… _this_ is why I don’t do good deeds. It only comes back to… to bite me in th– _Shit_!” She swore as she tripped over the long, dark cloak that hooded her face and draped over her shoulders. The oversized cape was good for pretending that she was a young manakete trying to escape, but that was about the only purpose it served.

She landed almost face-first in the sand, skidding a few inches forward before coming to a stop.

“Tharja, no lying down on job!” The mercenary joked, trying to help her get onto her feet as quickly as possible.

Their former ‘allies’ – if one could even call them that– were closing in. That was a slip-up they probably couldn’t afford.

“Gregor, if we… get out of this alive, I’m killing you… myself,” Tharja threatened, practically growling at him through ragged breaths. Even as she got back up and the two of them started running again, as fast as they could, it was too little too late. The soldiers were right on their tails.

One man was about to swing at Tharja with his axe, nearly connecting, but she managed to dodge out of the way and it only slashed at the fabric of her cloak. The young sorceress braced herself for another incoming blow, but it never came.

Instead, a streak of bright blue light lit up the sky.

The comet-esque attack hit the vanguard head-on, but missed Gregor and Tharja completely.

Well, maybe not _completely._

They were spared from the brunt of the damage, but a spray of ice-cold slush spattered against their backs, so freezing that they could feel it through their clothes.

A golden dragon circled overhead; one that the two of them were quite familiar with.

Even as they were taken aback by Nowi’s sudden arrival, the mercenary and sorceress both raced on, gratefully taking advantage of the distraction she’d provided.

They didn’t get very far, though, when a different sort of surprise stopped them in their tracks. A woman, easily the size of a building, was crouched fairly low to the ground ahead of them. Poised and ready to strike, it seemed.

Of course, both had heard the word going around camp, about how a large faction of troops had returned from Ylisse with some… very unique cargo. About how that unique, _valuable_ cargo was being transported to the Dragon’s Table.  

The rumors had certainly piqued Tharja’s interest quite a bit. Although, at the time, she’d thought that was all they were; rumors. Or overblown exaggerations at most.

It was something she had intended on investigating further, but then the situation with Nowi happened, and… well, Tharja _probably_ wasn’t going to be showing her face around those soldiers ever again. Not unless she had a death wish.

But to see for herself that those supposed rumors were true, at least some of them, left the Plegian mage feeling something she hadn’t felt in… Gods, it must’ve been _years_. Something she hadn’t expected to find when she was assigned to this boring outpost in the Border Sands.

Her heart thrummed in her chest, not just from all the running, but also with excitement. Perhaps a hint of fear as well. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone, including herself.

What she saw before her now was new, and strange, and very, _very_ interesting. She wanted to learn everything she could.  

Another shot of Nowi’s icy breath illuminated the area, and this time around, in that brief flash of light, Tharja took in every ounce of detail she could; from the woman’s clearly Plegian clothing to her long, white hair and stormy gray eyes.

Which now met Tharja’s darker, almost black ones.

There was an urgent, almost apologetic look in them.

And in that next moment, just a fraction of a second, Tharja’s whole world shifted in a blur of movement, and she was enveloped in warmth.

 

* * *

 

Robin felt rather guilt-ridden as she lunged forward and carefully but quickly scooped up Nowi’s two… friends off the ground. There weren’t really many other options, though. Not if they wanted to get away as fast as they could. With both hands, she held the two of them close as she shot up from her crouched position, turned on her heels, and started moving. Not a run, but quite faster than a walk.

After firing off one last breath attack on the advancing troops, Nowi followed behind her. The energetic manakete then took her place on Robin’s shoulder once more.

 _“There’s an oasis not too far from here,”_ she informed the white-haired giantess. _“Well, not too far for me or you. I bet it’d take a long time for a big group of humans like that to get there!”_

“Sounds like a good place to stop and rest,” Robin noted. “Can you lead the way?”

Nowi nodded, taking to the air yet again, and now it was Robin’s turn to follow her.

Once the two— now four— of them were a decent distance away from the camp, Robin allowed herself to slow down somewhat, turning her attention to the people she was carrying. She uncupped her hands just the slightest bit, trying to give the two of them some room to breathe while still holding them safely and securely.

“U-Um, sorry about all of that,” she stammered somewhat nervously. “Are you two alright?”

For a long, awkward moment, the only response Robin got was silence as the two just stared up at her, speechless.

Not surprising.

The first one to recover was the redheaded man.  

“Gregor has seen many strange things in past, but this one takes cake,” he chuckled before turning to the younger woman next him and giving her a light nudge with his elbow. “Oy, Tharja! Is cat having your tongue?” Gregor teased. The remark earned him an irritated glare.

“Don’t test me, old man. Or I might just keep my word from earlier,” she warned, shoving his arm away with her own.

“Ha, is empty threat, is it not? Gregor knows truth! You never hurt friend.”

“We are _not_ friends.”

“Are you being sure of that? Together we risk life and limb to save little girl! Makes us comrades in arms, yes?”

 _“You’re both definitely_ my _friends because of that! I still owe you guys big time!”_ Nowi called down from where she flew just ahead of them.

“Last I checked, the other person has to _agree_ to be your friend for that to work,” Tharja remarked somewhat sardonically. “But speaking of friends, why don’t you introduce us to this one, Nowi?” She added, pointing to Robin.

“O-Oh! My name’s Robin. Sorry about that, too,” the white-haired young woman apologized, introducing herself. “Nowi helped me get free not long after you helped her. So, um, I guess I owe you one, too.”

“Hmm, I’ll be sure to remember that,” Tharja noted. Something about the faint grin that creeped up her lips made Robin uneasy, but she decided to ignore it for now.

 _“There’s the oasis!”_ Nowi declared happily, prompting Robin to look up and return her gaze to their surroundings.

Sure enough, just in the distance she spotted a small pool of water with green patches of foliage around it. Even with the dark of night, Robin could make out the plants’ vibrant hues. The sight of it reminded her just how parched she was, and she eagerly quickened her pace to get there even sooner, though she still tried to be mindful of her passengers.

To her, it wasn’t much more than a puddle in terms of size, but it was certainly better than nothing.

Once the four arrived at their destination, Robin carefully set Tharja and Gregor down by the water’s edge, and Nowi landed close by before dropping her dragon form. Being carried hadn’t been too terribly unpleasant, but the mercenary and sorceress were both pretty happy to be back on the ground.

“We probably shouldn’t stay here for too long,” Robin stated as she looked over her shoulder, back the way they’d come. There was no sign of anyone following them, and between Nowi’s wings and Robin’s long strides, it would probably stay that way for a while. Unless… “Were there any wyvern riders back at that camp?”

“No. There were only two stationed at that pathetic excuse for an outpost, and they were both sent on ahead to report to King Gangrel,” Tharja replied as she, Nowi, and Gregor knelt to fill up their canteens.

Unfortunately, Robin was left with a much less sophisticated way of obtaining her drink. But the feeling of water filling up her cupped hands as she dipped them below the surface was already so refreshing.

 _Gods, water never tasted so good…_ She thought blissfully.

“So, where’re you two gonna go now?” Nowi asked Gregor and Tharja curiously. “Robin and I are going to Ylisse together!”

“Ylisse? Were you not prisoner there also?” Gregor wondered, looking up at Robin.

“N-No! Not at all!” She exclaimed a little louder than she’d intended, immediately feeling embarrassed by her own outburst. “They… The royal family was very kind to me. I-I have to get back to the capital and make sure my friends are alright,” she explained, lowering her voice sheepishly.

“So you haven’t heard, then? About what happened to Ylisstol?” Tharja questioned.

Robin’s expression shifted to a nervous one as she shook her head. “What… What happened?”

Tharja hesitated in her response.

The black-haired sorceress wasn’t typically one to care about other people’s emotions, but even she had _some_ tact. And if Robin’s tone was anything to go by, this was news that would not be taken well, no matter how lightly she tried to put it.  

“Ylisstol fell day or two ago. Big bloody battle led by Mad King himself,” Gregor chimed in, apparently taking Tharja’s hesitance as a sign that he could step in to answer.

Robin’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say a word. It almost seemed like she hadn’t fully processed what Gregor had said. Or maybe she just didn’t want to.

“Geez, Gramps! Haven’t you ever heard of being delicate?” Nowi scolded him, her voice barely above a whisper. Tharja had been about to say the something similar to that, only with a few more… choice words thrown in.

“Gramps? What is this ‘gramps?’ If Gregor is gramps, then little girl is great-great-great granny!” Gregor shot back at her. He didn’t even bother keeping his voice down.   

“D… Do you know what happened to… t-to the exalt?” Robin stammered, ignoring Nowi and Gregor’s bickering. She barely managed to catch herself before she said ‘Emmeryn’ instead of ‘the exalt.’

This time, Tharja answered before Gregor could.  

_No point in trying to sugarcoat it now…_

“… King Gangrel took her prisoner. He’s planning on having her executed in about two days time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to let everyone know that Tharja means a lot to me as a character  
> and I know she's not always portrayed in the best light, but I love her anyway :'3


	17. Converging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which information is exchanged._   
> 

“I have to get to the castle,” Robin stated firmly. “Please, I need your help,” she practically begged the others.

“I’m in!” Nowi declared. “I don’t know how to get there, but I’ll totally fight any bad guys that get in our way!”

“Robin, I don’t think you understand the situation over there,” Tharja argued. “I don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard that the king as something _big_ planned for Ylisse’s army once they arrive.”

“Gregor also hear rumors. Very messy business,” Gregor chimed in.

“All the more reason I have to go,” Robin insisted.

“Do you even have a plan?” The dark mage remarked.

“I-I’ll figure it out when I get there,” the white-haired giantess stammered. She’d never felt so impulsive about something before. Maybe this was how Chrom felt all the time. “I-I’m not asking you guys to fight anyone if you don’t want to. I just need to know which way to go. You don’t even have to show me, just point me in the right direction.”

“And then what?” Tharja questioned. “You storm the castle? Trample your way through however many troops King Gangrel has waiting there? I don’t doubt you could, trust me, but by the time you get there, I’m sure he’ll already know that you’ve escaped. He might be ready for you, too.”

“Speaking of that, I… I don’t suppose you know anything about the poison they used on me?” Robin wondered after hesitating silently for a moment.

“Know anything? I helped brew it,” Tharja practically scoffed.

“Y-You did?”

“Not that I knew what it was being used it for. Until now, of course,” she remarked. “It was made from a fairly common plant called wyrmsnacht.”

“Ooh, ooh! I know about wyrmsnacht!” Nowi exclaimed eagerly, not unlike a small child.

“It’s a fast-acting, highly effective muscle relaxant,” Tharja went on, ignoring the blonde manakete’s little outburst. “Even the smallest dose leaves the target out cold in a matter of seconds.”

“That sounds… impressive. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it before, though,” Robin noted. “You’d think something that strong would be common knowledge.”

“Well, the thing is, there’s just one problem…” Tharja started.

“It only works on dragons!” Nowi interrupted her again.

Robin’s eyes widened at that. “W-What?”

“Outside of handling wyverns, it doesn’t have many practical uses,” the young Plegian woman clarified. “Wyrmsnacht only affects dragonkind; it’s completely and utterly harmless against anything else.”

“T-That… That can’t be right,” Robin muttered. “I… I’m not a…”

 _A dragon?_ Her voice trailed off as she realized she couldn’t finish that sentence with absolute certainty.

 _Was_ she becoming a dragon? Not that it made a whole lot of sense, but… it at least somewhat explained a few things. Her horns, for one. The way her ears resembled Nowi’s, for another.

“Judging from that reaction, I take it you weren’t always like this, yeah?” Tharja checked.

Robin nodded.

“Interesting…” The dark mage murmured. “Hmm. Well, you did say you owed me one. It’d be a shame if something happened to you that would prevent you from repaying me… I guess I’ve no choice but to come along as well. Make sure you don’t go getting yourself captured again.”

“Alas, Gregor cannot be sitting by and allowing lovely ladies to be putting themselves in way of harm. Would be unfitting of honorable man,” the ginger-haired mercenary spoke up.

“Alright! This is gonna be awesome!” Nowi cheered. “What’re we waiting for? Let’s go right now!”

“T-Thank you. Thank you all for your help,” Robin stated, her tone brimming with sincerity.

“Be careful. At this rate you’re going to end up having a life debt to me.”

 

* * *

 

“And you’re certain of this, Libra?” Chrom asked.

“Yes, sire. The King himself announced it formally to a crowd gathered in the capital square; he made quite the show of it. I was present under the guise of a humble peasant.”

Just one day ago, in the cool desert evening, the Shepherds had found Libra wandering alone through the sands, nearly dehydrated and without food. Save for the clothes on his back, the only thing he carried with him was his axe. Their healers had worked nonstop to nurse him back to health.  

Now it was the next morning, and the effeminate young priest considered himself eternally blessed when, not only had he been saved from certain death, but he had been saved by none other than Prince Chrom of Ylisse.

Certainly the gods must have smiled upon him.

Recovering in the group’s medical tent, Libra willingly and eagerly shared every bit of information he had gleaned with the Ylissean prince and his allies.

Of course, it had been rather awkward at first, when the young lord had mistaken Libra for a woman. The monk was used to such things, though. With his long, silky blond hair and rounded, delicate-looking features, it was a common mistake for anyone who first met him.

And it was after clearing up that confusion that Libra told them everything he knew.

“Tomorrow, then…” Chrom murmured. “It’s just as you predicted, Marth,” he stated, turning to the blue-haired swordswoman who stood a few feet behind him.

“Mmm,” she acknowledged, deep in thought as she considered Libra’s words. “As soon as we set foot into Plegian territory, he moves up the date to coincide perfectly with our arrival time to the castle… It would explain why we haven’t encountered much resistance. He must be waiting for us."

“And whatever he’s got waiting with him isn’t going to be pretty…” Flavia muttered, standing near the entrance with her arms crossed.

“Libra, did he mention anything about any other prisoners? Anything at all?” Chrom questioned further.

“I… I’m afraid not, milord. My apologies,” Libra told him.

“I-It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize,” Chrom reassured the war monk, trying to hide the disappointment in his tone. “The information you’ve given us is more than enough.”

“That kind of intel is best left to the professionals,” Basilio began, speaking to the blue-haired lord. “Our spies are scheduled to return by noon at the latest. They’re the best people I’ve got; if they don’t have Robin’s exact location, they’ll have something pretty damn close.”

They all let Libra be after that, allowing him to continue his rest and recovery as they filed out of the medical tent one by one.

All except Marth, who lingered a little while longer.

“Is something the matter, Lady Marth?” Libra asked her curiously.

“I… There were just a few more questions I had for you, if you don’t mind,” she explained somewhat hesitantly.

“I don’t mind at all, but… may I ask why you would like to discuss them privately?”

“I-It’s nothing too important. Nothing the others would be terribly interested in, anyway.”

“Oh? Is it a religious matter?”

“Something like that. I was wondering… what all do you know about the… the Fell Dragon, Grima?”

 

* * *

 

Basilio’s spies arrived at exactly noon. There were two of them, a man and a woman, dressed in cream-colored attire that blended in perfectly with the desert sands around them. The pair met with their Khan, as well as Chrom, Marth, Frederick, and Flavia in the main tent, gathered around a map spread out on a collapsible table.

“Out with it then. Don’t keep the boy waiting,” Basilio urged them on.

Chrom didn’t particularly enjoy being referred to as ‘boy,’ but he didn’t bother voicing that complaint right now. There were far more important things on his mind.

It was the woman who spoke up first.

“We were able to corroborate the monk’s claims. Exalt Emmeryn’s execution is taking place in the castle courtyard, on the morrow,” she reported. “We also learned the location of Captain Phila; she’s currently being detained at an outpost not too far from the castle grounds.”

“And… what of Robin?” Chrom inquired.

The pair shared a look of… unease? He wasn’t sure, but it certainly made _him_ uneasy. After a moment, it was the man who spoke this time around.

“Her location is… unknown.”

“What do you mean? Could you not find anything?” The Ylissean prince questioned, trying to push down his growing impatience.

“According to the information we gathered, she was previously being kept at military encampment in an area known as the Border Sands,” the woman clarified, pointing to a spot on the map as she did so. “She was to be transported to Plegia Castle. However, the night before the troops were to move out, she managed to escape. Not even the Plegian forces know where she is now.”

“She gave them the slip? Damn, you didn’t tell me that giant of yours was a crafty one,” Basilio remarked, almost light-heartedly.

Chrom supposed he should’ve been relieved to hear that news, and he was. Partially. But another part of him couldn’t help but worry about what that meant for Robin. For all he knew– for all any of them knew– she was out there somewhere, lost and alone.

“Should we send scouts to look for her?” Flavia wondered.

Chrom’s immediate response would have been a definite yes, until he took note of the thoughtful expression on Marth’s face. She seemed conflicted.

“If the group we send out is too small, there would be no point in sending them in the first place; it’d take far too long for them to scour the entire desert trying to find her,” the blue-haired swordswoman explained. “But… I don’t think we can afford to send out a group of adequate size. It wouldn’t be wise to divide our forces like that.”

Chrom nodded.

He didn’t like it, but she was right.

“As I said earlier, given the lack of resistance we’ve encountered thus far, it’s likely that the majority of the Plegian army will be gathered at the castle,” she went on. “I… I hate to say this, but it might be best if we focus solely on Lady Emmeryn first, and then look for Robin.”

He _really_ didn’t like it.

“Well then, I’ll go rally the Feroxi troops and we’ll continue our march to the capital,” Flavia declared. “The Shepherds will be taking the vanguard, I assume?” She asked Chrom.

He nodded, and Flavia left after that.

Basilio was right behind her with his two spies following him.

“Are you alright, milord?” Frederick finally spoke, once they had left.

“Yeah, yes. I’m fine. It’s just… I feel like I’m abandoning her,” Chrom confessed reluctantly. He turned to Marth before continuing. “You’re right about dividing our troops, though. We all have to head for Plegia Castle if we want to save Emm in time. And I think… I think this is what Robin would want us to do, but still, I…”

His voice trailed off, uncertain.

“I know I haven’t been in her company for long, but Robin seems like a very capable woman,” Marth stated, trying to sound reassuring. “But I also know that telling you not to worry would be pointless.”

That remark actually managed to get a faint smile out of him.

“What do you think she’s doing right now?” He wondered. He already had a guess of his own, but he was curious to know what Marth thought.

Earlier in their travels, she’d told him that her insight into the future would no longer be of use after they’d prevented Emmeryn’s assassination back in Ylisstol; things were different now. Despite that, it still seemed like she had this sort of… intuition. Even if she didn’t know what was going to happen next, Chrom noticed that there were some things she was just so certain of.

Several days of traveling with this woman, and yet she still remained such a mystery to him.  

She always kept her distance, both literally and metaphorically, from him and the rest of the Shepherds. She rarely ever spoke unless something was directly asked of her. Chrom didn’t think she was cold or aloof like Lon’qu, but she did have a cautious air about her.

“Well… If she knows about what’s happening with Lady Emmeryn, I would imagine she’s trying to find her own way to the castle. That’s another part of the reason I didn’t think we should send out a search party,” Marth answered.

“You think we might meet up with her then?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she beat us there.”


	18. Prices We Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which a gathering is interrupted._   
> 

“Citizens of Plegia, common folk and brave soldiers alike! I know you have all patiently awaited this day, and now the time has come for that patience to be rewarded!” King Gangrel announced to the huge crowd gathered below. The world was his stage once more as he stood atop the balcony that overlooked the castle courtyard and the walls beyond it. And oh, how he loved the way his subjects gawked up at him, eager to hear what he had to say next.

But none were more eager than the Mad King himself.

Today was going to be _glorious._

“We all still grieve for those lost in that cold and brutal war, yet what recompense did Ylisse give for the needless fighting _they_ started? For the children made orphans? The wives made widows?” He questioned, his voice growing louder, more filled with conviction. “ _Nothing!_  Save for finally putting an end to the slaughter!”

He paused for a moment before he continued, “The crimes of our self-proclaimed ‘peaceful’ neighbors have remained heavy in our hearts, but today we shall have justice! Today the witch-queen of Ylisse shall answer for her father’s atrocities!”

With an almost over-the-top flourish, Gangrel gestured behind him, up to one of the towering horns of the gargantuan dragon skull that sat in the courtyard.

Two people were waiting there, at the very tip of the pointed spire, standing dangerously close to the edge. One was hardly more than a simple man, dressed in the plain furs and leathers of a typical Plegian fighter, and holding a one-handed axe. No one paid much mind to him, though.

For the other person there, who stood in front of the man with her wrists bound, was Exalt Emmeryn.

The Ylissean ruler remained silent as the crowd let out an exuberant uproar. She looked ragged and worn out, though not bruised or bloodied like one might expect. The clothing she had on now was the same she’d worn when she was taken prisoner several days ago, but her crown was absent.

Gangrel had certainly considered stripping her of everything while she was in their custody, but… leaving her with a little bit of dignity now would make these next moments all the more satisfying.

“Executioner! If you would be so kind!” He shouted up to the man standing behind Emmeryn, a wicked smile on his face.

Amongst the masses of people, the faintest speck of royal blue caught his eye.

His smile grew wider.

Following the king’s orders, the executioner roughly shoved the exalt forward, knocking her down to her knees. One of the sleeves of her gown was slightly torn in the process, and it now hung loosely off her shoulder.

She did not scream or cry out.

The man then grabbed a fistful of her long blonde hair, yanking her head upwards. Emmeryn let out a soft, pained grunt in response, but once again she did not cry out.

He held up the axe in his other hand, preparing to bring it down on her when–

“Flavia, NOW!”

The blade of a red and silver short-axe connected at the base of the executioner’s neck, where shoulder met torso, and as the man’s grasp on Emmeryn slackened, all eyes were drawn to the form of a pure white pegasus zooming through the cloudless skies.

On the back of the winged steed sat two individuals; both were women, one with long red hair and the other a pale blonde.

Gangrel didn’t even care as the executioner’s lifeless corpse tumbled over the side of the spire, falling several dozen feet to the ground below. The king’s eyes remained focused on that speck of blue, and still his smile did not fade.

The esteemed guests he’d been waiting for had finally arrived.

 

* * *

 

From within the crowd, Chrom drew forth his Falchion. Those around him parted, some screaming and fleeing for their lives while others remained, standing their ground. The ones who ran were mere civilians, while those who stayed were clearly soldiers; soldiers who had been expecting something like this.

Marth, Frederick, and Lissa weren’t far behind him, while the rest of the Shepherds were spread out in small groups all throughout the area. Save for Cordelia and Flavia, who were now climbing higher and higher into the sky, out of the range of any archers that might be preparing to attack.

Even after all of the common folk cleared out, the crowd hadn’t grown much smaller.

Not only that, but from the north there appeared to be more enemy forces marching on their location, and swarms of wyvern riders took to the sky.

It was just as Marth had predicted, the reason they’d been able to make it so far into Plegian territory without so much as one big skirmish.

Because most of Gangrel’s army was _here._

As the fighting began, King Gangrel simply sat and watched the ensuing battle from his dais. It seemed as though he had no intention of joining the fray, and that only got Chrom’s blood boiling even more than it already was.

At least now he finally had a means of venting his frustration.

But he couldn’t just recklessly tear into every Plegian that stood in his way. Chrom had to keep Marth’s plan in mind, too.

She was at his side now, copying every move he made. Not intentionally, but it seemed only natural for her to match the swings of his blade with her own identical attacks. It was almost like a synchronized dance between the two of them.

In the meantime, much like Gangrel, though not by choice, Emmeryn watched as the sound of shouts and clashing metal reached her ears, even from so high up.

And even from so high up, she could still make out the forms of her siblings; Chrom with his sword, and– much to her surprise– Lissa with a tome, firing off spells from where she stood next to Frederick.

In fact, it was something that the young princess had picked up quite recently, over the course of the days spent traveling through Plegia, with both Ricken and Miriel there to teach her. It also helped that she was a fast learner, though she was still a novice in every sense of the word. But even the little bit of extra firepower she contributed went a long way.

Because right now, the Shepherds were _vastly_ outnumbered.

That wouldn’t be the case for long, though. Not with the rest of Ylisse’s army, as well as the troops of Regna Ferox, coming up over the dunes from the south. It wouldn’t be more than a few minutes before they joined the fray.

Basilio led the charge, letting out a mighty, bellowing war cry.

It was like two ocean waves crashing into each other when the opposing forces met.

Through that sea of soldiers, Chrom and his allies pressed on. They were making decent headway, but it seemed to be taking forever. Gods, there were just so many enemies. How long had it been since the fight started? Minutes? Hours? He didn’t know, but Chrom was pretty sure exhaustion would get to him before any weapon could.

“Milord! Above you!” Frederick shouted, yelling over the sounds of fighting all around them.

Chrom expected to see a wyvern barreling down on him from the sky, but… that wasn’t entirely the case.

The blue-haired lord dodged out of the way as the scaly beast, along with its rider, plummeted to the ground and landed with a loud _thud_ in the same place he had just been standing.

Both were coated in… was that some sort of slush?

Utterly confused, and momentarily forgetting the conflict that was going on around him, Chrom looked up at the sky, from where the wyvern rider had fallen. What he saw left him more than a little surprised.

A large golden and green dragon flew amongst the wyverns, firing off icy breath attacks at the smaller dragonkin. There were two people riding on its back; a black-haired sorceress wielding fire magic, and an orange-haired mercenary slashing his sword at any foes that came too close. Chrom didn’t recognize any of them, but for now it seemed like they were only fighting against Plegia. As far as he was concerned, that made them allies. He could get answers later.

Chrom would’ve continued pushing forward after that, if not for the glimpse he caught out of the corner of his eye of a huge figure on the southern horizon.

_Robin._

A flood of relief washed over him when he saw her, now knowing that she was really, truly alright. Sadly, he couldn’t afford to let himself be distracted any longer. Not as the fighting raged on.

 

* * *

 

At the moment, Robin could only watch as the Feroxi-Ylissean and Plegian armies clashed. It was immensely conflicting for her to just sit back, though.

She could probably wipe out half of Plegia’s forces with one fell swoop, and while something like that would be quite beneficial to Chrom and the others, it also didn’t sit right with her. Robin reasoned with herself that she couldn’t join the fray just yet anyway, even if she wanted to; not with allies and enemies alike so closely intermingled with each other. It’d be all too easy to hurt someone she didn’t mean to.

At least Nowi, Tharja, and Gregor were providing additional support in her stead. And unlike Ylisse’s pegasus knights or Plegia’s wyvern riders, Nowi didn’t have that near-crippling weakness to archers.

But… even if she couldn’t help in the way of combat, there was one thing she could do. Her eyes were drawn to Emmeryn’s stranded form, far away as she was.

Robin could easily reach her. She was sure of it.

And so she went for it, easily making her way around the warring crowd before her. She hardly paid any mind to the way almost all of the soldiers hesitated or even completely froze up upon noticing her. It was one of those very rare occasions where Robin was grateful for the fear she invoked in others.

“Emm,” she called out in an almost gentle tone as her long strides brought her closer and closer to the exalt.

As she reached the wall surrounding the inner courtyard, which just barely fell short of her waist, Robin practically skidded to a halt.

Her eyes widened as a familiar pain coursed through her. It wasn’t anywhere near as intense or as all-consuming as the first time, but it still felt so horribly similar.

She could hear and see and everything else, she just. Couldn’t. Move.

“Not so fast, dear,” a feminine voice spoke.

Hovering into view in front of her, on the back of an obsidian black pegasus, was the woman from the Border Pass; the one who had introduced herself to Emmeryn as ‘Aversa.’ She held a tome in one hand, its binding like nothing Robin had ever seen before. Her free hand was held out in front of her, as if she was casting a spell.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you interfere just yet,” Aversa crooned. “I may not be as strong as him, but it looks like I’m just strong enough…” she murmured, more to herself than to Robin.

 _What?_ Robin tried to form that one word, but all that came out was a soft, pained groan.

The dark flier smiled at her mischievously. “Don’t worry. The real fun’s just about to st—!”

A brass javelin flew through the air, just narrowly missing Aversa’s shoulder as it grazed the feathers of her attire.

Out of the corner of her eye, Robin could make out a familiar shade of sky blue, mixed with white and rose gold.

“Next time I won’t miss, _witch_ ,” Phila warned, pulling at the chain attached to her weapon. With expert speed, she reeled it in until it was back in her hand once more, ready to be thrown again.

“Ooh, so scary. I’m shaking,” Aversa mocked.

However, Phila’s distraction had managed to weaken the dark flier’s concentration enough so that Robin could break free of her control. She shook away the magic that clung to her, flexing her fingers in response.

With a quick look around, Robin saw that Chrom, Marth, Lissa, and Frederick were crossing through the archway that led into the courtyard. Most of the fighting had died down behind them, or so it seemed.

And as her eyes met with Chrom’s for a brief moment, the two of them shared a fleeting smile; one of confidence and hope.

“Ah, if it isn’t my _favorite_ Ylissean guard dog,” King Gangrel called down from his balcony. Their smiles immediately faded. “So nice of you to join the party!”

“Better a guard dog than a mad one,” Chrom spat. “It’s over, Gangrel. Your men are retreating. You’ve lost.”

“Oh, have I? Are you certain of that, Little Prince?” Gangrel challenged. “Aversa, dear? We’ve got a few more tricks up our sleeves, don’t we?”

“Indeed we do, milord,” Aversa called back to him with wicked delight.

Once more, she brandished that strange tome.

Robin braced herself, but… Aversa flew off, away from her and Phila, over towards King Gangrel.

What happened next left Robin speechless. And even a little horrified.

With the wave of her hand, a dark and negative energy rippled out of the ground under Aversa, as if her shadow was expanding. It spread, washing over the area, but it didn’t fade out. Instead, dozens upon dozens of figures began to materialize from Aversa’s magic, surrounding Chrom and the others.

Robin recognized those figures, even though it had been so long since she’d last seen anything like them.

Hunched, almost crippled-looking forms that should’ve been too decayed and rotten to stand, let alone move. And the way they moved was so unnatural, with sporadic and jerky spasms. Clothed in tattered rags and dented armor, they were armed with weapons that appeared broken, rusty, and so old that ‘ancient’ might have been a better word to use. Their bodies expelled a ghastly purple smoke with every false breath, and their eyes glowed a seething crimson hue, so intense even in the brightness of day.

_Risen._

A whole horde of Risen had just appeared out of nowhere. Almost all of them were wielding bows, but some had swords and axes. And a few had nothing more than their gangly, razor-sharp claws.

Gangrel let out a loud, cruel laugh. “What was that about my men retreating, Princeling? It seems to me that I have plenty to spare!”

“Gods, not– not now! How…?” Chrom stammered in both anger and disbelief, completely ignoring the Mad King’s words. He turned to Marth, desperately hoping she might have an answer, a plan, _something_. But her eyes weren’t on him. They were entirely focused on the swarm of undead soldiers all around them. She was tense, with her sword held at the ready. From this angle he couldn’t really tell, but… was that… did she have a fearful expression on her face?

“No. No no no no no,” Phila murmured, though only Robin could hear her, and just barely at that. The azure-haired pegasus knight glanced between the Risen and Emmeryn. She then whipped her reins, goading her pegasus on.

Before Robin could say anything that might stop her, Phila shot forward, straight for the platform on which the exalt stood.

“Phila, wait, don’t–!” Emmeryn tried to call out to her friend and guardian.

But it was too late.

With inhuman speed, the Risen archers aimed, fired, and unleashed a huge volley of arrows that collided with the white winged horse like a windstorm.

The mare let out an agonizing scream of a sound as they tore through feathers, embedded into flesh. Her wings folded and crumpled, and unable to hold the weight of mount and rider, both started to plummet.

Almost on pure instinct alone, Robin reached out to try and catch them, falling to her knees in the process as she hit the sandstone wall in front of her. It fractured the tiniest bit, but withstood her massive size.

Thrown from her saddle, Phila landed in one hand while her pegasus landed in the other.

Even more arrows were loosed in response to Robin’s sudden movements. They pierced her exposed hands, but couldn’t make it through the fabric of her cloak. She hardly felt a thing.

It seemed that Phila’s pegasus had taken the brunt of the damage from that first attack. The poor thing was barely clinging to life as she heaved out weak and ragged breaths. Phila herself had more than a couple arrows digging into her, but all things considered, it could’ve been a lot worse.

“Phila, are you alright?” Robin questioned nervously, trying to keep her voice down.

“Mhmm,” she answered weakly. “T-Thank you, Robin, but please, y-you have to–”

“I know,” Robin cut her off, for she did know what Phila was about to say:

_You have to save Emmeryn._

With that confirmation, Robin carefully moved to lower them down to the ground on her side of the wall, safely out of the way, where a healer could get to them later, once this was all over.  

“Thank you for the demonstration, ladies! Now I don’t need to explain what happens if any of you try to make any sudden moves,” Gangrel cackled, a trace of a threat hidden in those words.

Robin practically bared her teeth at him.

“And _now_ , where were we…? Ah, yes! I remember,” he noted, turning his attention down to Chrom. “I believe this is where _you_ surrender to _me,_ and beg for your worthless lives!”

“I’ll give up my life before I beg for it from you,” Chrom remarked.

“Ha! My, _that_ is a good line. A fitting epitaph on your tombstone, perhaps?” The Mad King retorted. “But… no one else needs to die today. Not you, not your friends, and not the exalt,” Gangrel stated, taking on an almost uncharacteristic, more serious tone. “…All you have to do is lay down your sword and give me the Fire Emblem.”

For the longest minute of his life, Chrom didn’t answer. He _couldn’t_.

“Marth, please… Please tell you have some kind of plan,” the Ylissean prince finally begged softly. Yes, _begged_.

“I… I’m sorry,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She still didn’t meet his eyes. “I wanted to save Lady Emmeryn so badly, I… I thought… Gods, how could I be so naive?! We… Chrom, you _can’t_ lose the Fire Emblem. It’s too important, it–”

“My patience is wearing thin, Princeling!” Gangrel interrupted them. “You should know how _awfully_ generous I’m being right now; remember, I don’t need you alive to get what I want. I’ll give you to the count of three to throw down your weapons or–”

“Or what? You’ll kill them?” Robin interrupted him, getting back up to her feet as she spoke. “And what of me? It’ll take more than a couple dozen arrows to put me down. And in the time it takes you to stop me, I could _easily_ put an end to _you_.”  

Unlike with Roddick and his band of kidnappers, this was more than some empty threat. Even Robin herself wasn’t sure how sincere her words were.

And yet Gangrel looked completely unfazed.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true; he almost looked… amused?

“My, my, so eager to betray your homeland, aren’t you?” He remarked haughtily. “It’s almost as if you’ve _forgotten_ who you are."

Robin stared at him, left wide-eyed and utterly speechless. Perhaps hearing him say such things was even more shocking that seeing those Risen spawn out of thin air.

And what could she say to that? Call him a liar? Deny his claim? What reason did he have to make that up?

Her homeland. Plegia.

She was Plegian.

Did that matter? No, not really. Not as much as the fact that Gangrel was the one telling her that.

“Don’t speak as if you know her!” Chrom snarled at the Mad King.

“Oh? And you know her so well, don’t you, boy?” Gangrel sneered.

“Please, King Gangrel!" Emmeryn cut in, shouting down from her precarious perch. "Is there no hope that you’ll listen to reason?” 

“Reason? Or do you mean more of your self-righteous drivel?” He mocked. “No, thank you. The only thing I want to hear now is your brother saying he will give me the Fire Emblem.” The redheaded regent paused for a moment, as if considering something. “Although, I suppose the sound of you hitting the ground would be good enough for now.”

“ _Enough_ ,” Chrom shouted. “Enough. Emm, I… I know you won’t approve of this, but… this is _my_ decision. _I’m_ the one to blame for whatever comes next. Maybe– Maybe someday there _might_ come a time where the Emblem _may_ help us, but I know for certain that our people need their exalt here and now.”

“Chrom, wait–!” Marth almost interrupted him.

He ignored her. “And we need our sister. Whatever comes next, whatever the future brings, I know that we can overcome it together.”

For once, Gangrel didn’t chime in with any witty retorts or harsh words.

He’d done it. He had finally pushed the famed leader of Ylisse’s Shepherds to the breaking point. Victory was as good as his, and he was going to relish every moment of it.

“Th… Thank you, Chrom. I… I know what I must do now,” Emmeryn professed. “This is not your fault. This is not your decision. It’s _mine_.”

“Emm, what are y–”

The exalt rose from her knees.

She closed her eyes.

And she stepped forward.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Robin couldn’t move.

 _Why_ couldn’t she move?

Why couldn’t she just lunge forward, even just attempt to try and stop what was happening?

Was it because she never would have expected Emmeryn to do such a thing? Because she didn’t think she could make it in time? Because she had to keep Chrom and the others in mind for fear of trampling them in her wake?

The impact wasn’t anywhere near as loud as Robin thought it would be, considering it felt like the sky had fallen with her. Considering it felt like _everything_ had fallen with her.

At first, the only thing Robin could feel as she stared down at Emmeryn’s motionlessbody… was numb. It was almost as if her mind was frozen.

A part of her wished it had stayed that way.

Because what came next was far, far worse.

When the ice thawed, a torrent of emotions came crashing through her, and along with it came the pain. That awful, familiar pain. Only this time it wasn’t coursing through her entire body. No, this time in remained in one single place; her heart.

Her vision started to blur with tears, and she could feel them start to stream down her face.

She’d broken her promise to Chrom; her promise to keep Emmeryn safe. She’d told him that everything was going to be okay. But it wasn’t. It _wasn’t_ okay. It was the farthest from okay it could ever be. And it was all her fault.

_No._

No, she wasn’t the only one to blame. There was also that bastard of a mad king. It was _his_ plans, _his_ greed, that led to all of this.

It was because of _him_ that everything was ruined. It was because of _him_ that those peaceful, happy days were gone. _He_ had taken that from her. From Chrom. From Lissa. From everyone. Nothing could go back to the way it was ever again.

She wanted to kill him.

_Kill him. Kill him, kill him kill himkillhimkillhim–_

**_“Kill him.”_ **

Robin screamed.


	19. All We Know is Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which something snaps._   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ended up uploading this chapter a little earlier than usual!  
> I was home for Thanksgiving, but I'm headed back up to my dorm Sunday morning, so I won't be able to stay up til midnight like I normally do, and I'd rather have the chapter up early than have you guys wait longer, even if it's just a tiny bit longer. x'D  
> Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving if you celebrate it, and if not... well, I guess I just hope you had a good week in general!

Robin screamed, but at the same time, that wasn’t quite what it was.

It was more like a roar; a feral, guttural sound that filled the air.

More like a beast than a person.

The volume was deafening, loud enough to snap Chrom out of his shock. So loud, in fact, that it hurt. He instinctively covered his ears with his hands, nearly dropping Falchion in the process, but they offered little protection from such auditory assault.

He thought his eardrums were going to burst. Even the Risen surrounding them seemed to be suffering from the volume.

Robin’s cry encompassed every emotion that Chrom himself was feeling, only about a hundred times worse.

Rage.

Despair.

Sorrow.

He forced his eyes away from Emmeryn to look at Robin. For a moment, he considered calling out to her, but… there was no way in hell he could make himself heard over that. Besides, given what he saw, Chrom didn’t think he had it in him to speak anyway. His voice caught in his throat, and fear gripped his heart.

He watched as her horns grew larger, almost doubling in length.

He watched as her nails sharpened into claws, her teeth into fangs.

He watched as, from her back, six new limbs fanned out as they tore through skin and clothes with a sickening _rip._  Each one was about twice the length of her arms, and covered in feathers the color of a cloudy, starless night.

_Wings._

Three pairs of wings now unfurled behind her.

Tears streamed down her face through eyes that were tightly shut. If she was in pain, Chrom couldn’t tell if it was physical from her transformation, or just pure heartache. Most likely it was both.

Throughout the entire transformation, though it really only lasted a matter of seconds, Robin’s screaming roar continued. Until it finally just… stopped.

Chrom wasn’t sure which was worse; the screaming or the silence.

Her eyes snapped open.

Instead of stormy gray, they were glowing a bright blood red, identical to that of the Risen.

And then, almost faster than he could comprehend, Robin suddenly surged forward, barreling through the outer walls of the palace courtyard. The towering stone crumbled like a mere sandcastle before her might.

Her new wings beat at the air with such force that storms of sand and rubble kicked up around her, clouding the area. They weren’t even flapping at full strength, barely a fraction of it, and still the gust was so powerful.

Any of the remaining Plegian forces were either frozen with fear, too scared to act, or fleeing for their lives. Even some Feroxi and Ylissean soldiers did the same. Not only that, but something seemed to change within the Risen as their attention turned away from Chrom and his allies. They started shambling on, deeper into the courtyard, and toward–

No, that couldn’t be right, but… it almost seemed like they were headed straight for King Gangrel. Or trying to, at least. From atop his balcony, the Mad King was safe from the horde of living corpses.

But he wasn’t safe from Robin.

 

* * *

 

 

For the first time in a _long_ time, Gangrel felt real and genuine fear.

He was hyper-aware of how his muscles started to tense and freeze up.

In the seconds before Robin reached him, his eyes darted up to Aversa and her pegasus, hovering in the air just a few measly feet above him; his best– and really _only_ – chance at escape.

Aversa, on the other hand, didn’t show the slightest trace of fear on her features. In fact, she actually looked quite pleased with herself. The dark flier didn’t even spare Gangrel a glance as she raced upward, leaving the ground… and everything else far below her.

Not a trace of fear, and yet she’d just left him for dead.

 _It’s nothing personal, dear, but I’m afraid I can’t afford to die just yet…_ Aversa thought to herself instead of speaking the words out loud. Gangrel probably wouldn’t have heard her from this high up, anyway. _Father will be so pleased to know about this._

If he’d had time to think about it, perhaps Gangrel would’ve been angry with her. Perhaps he would’ve realized how futile escape was in the first place. The monster had wings now, after all; if she flew as fast as she ran, she’d have caught up to them in no time.

No time _…_

There was no time left.

 

* * *

 

Before now, Chrom never quite grasped just how powerful Robin was. Of course, before now, she had never exerted such pure, unbridled strength on anyone or anything. She was like a force of nature, impacting everything in her wake.

He almost forgot that this was the same woman who had once cradled him gently in the palm of her hand.

Or _…_ was it?

Was that really Robin?

She had become an entirely different person, it seemed, as she tore down the balcony upon which Gangrel stood, completely consumed by anger and bloodlust.

Considering the number she’d done on all that stonework, a fragile human being was nothing more than a nuisance, a pest to be easily exterminated.

When Robin was done with him, hardly anything remained of the man that Chrom once called the Mad King. The blue-haired lord was honestly glad that he hadn’t seen how she’d done the deed. Her huge form blocked most of his view, as did all the debris and wreckage she’d created.

Whichever way she’d killed him, whether it be with her own two hands or indirectly by demolishing the balcony, all that mattered was that King Gangrel was dead.

Maybe it was naive, but a small part of Chrom had hoped that Robin would go back to normal after she’d… after she’d taken care of Gangrel, that maybe she just needed to vent her anger, to work through how awful she felt about what had happened to Emmeryn.

Because clearly _that_ was what had spurred this drastic change.

But as Robin pulled away from the rubble, as she turned her gaze to her surroundings, her eyes still held that blazing, nightmarish red. Everything about her posture, her expression, said ‘predator.’ She looked so ferocious.

And then her eyes were drawn to the movement of the Risen below her.

Even with Gangrel dead, they still seemed to be shambling to get to him, digging through the sand and broken stone.

In the next moment, Robin was on her knees, and her fists came crashing down on them, taking out four or five at a time. Not that her attacks were any less brutal, but at least with the Risen the only thing left behind was a cloud of purple smoke instead of blood, bones, or flesh.

Hit after hit, the horde of undead began to dwindle in size.

Robin just kept going, bringing her fists down again, and _again,_  and _again._ The whole time her face remained contorted with rage as she let out animalistic grunts and growls.

She didn’t show any sign of stopping soon.

Would she keep going until every last Risen was vanquished? Or, once they were all gone, would she find herself a new target?

There was no way Robin could keep this up forever, though, right?

She’d have to burn out eventually.

… Right?

Chrom shuddered at the thought.

He’d already lost Emmeryn, and now he was losing Robin. Not to death, but to madness.

There had to be some way he could snap her out of it; something he could say or do to bring Robin back to her senses. He couldn’t let fear hold him back any longer. He had to act.

But as he moved to step forward, someone stopped him.

Chrom turned to see Marth clasping his wrist tightly with both hands. Lissa and Frederick weren’t even looking their way. Both of them were too busy gawking at Robin; Lissa looked fearful, and Frederick’s usual stoic gaze was virtually nonexistent.

“Marth, what are you–” Chrom cut himself off as he realized just how downright _scared_ she looked. It was jarring to see that kind of expression on her face, the polar opposite of her usual calm and collected demeanor.

“I-I know you want to help her, but you can’t,” she insisted. He could tell she was trying to hide the quiver in her voice.

“I won’t know until I try,” he countered, trying to yank his arm free. It was a futile attempt; her grip was like iron.

“No, ‘you can’t’ as in she’ll  _kill_ you!” Marth clarified, nearly shouting at him. The certainty in her voice was even more jarring, and Chrom almost considered listening to her. _Almost._

“She wouldn’t. She… she’d never do that,” he stated, and he truly believed it.

“Maybe not intentionally, but do honestly think she’s in control of her actions right now?” The blue-haired swordswoman argued. “All it would take is one careless–”

“ _Let go_ of me, Marth. I have to help her; I gave her my word!” Chrom interrupted her. Again he tried pulling away, and again he failed.

“I won’t!” This time Marth really was shouting at him, and he could see tears starting to prick at the corners of her eyes. “I won’t lose you again, Father!”

Time seemed to freeze for just the shortest moment.

Chrom stared at her, wide-eyed.

“You… what?”

She stared right back at him.

Her own eyes were already wide with fear, but a different emotion began to mix in as Marth realized what she’d said. Something akin to regret, maybe. Chrom couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked a lot like the kind of expression someone had when they’d just said something they weren’t supposed to.

She released his wrist to cover her mouth with both hands as a single tear escaped down her cheek.

Another mystery to add to the list. Another dozen question he wanted to ask her. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

Chrom started to move toward Robin once more, turning away from Marth. He didn’t say another word to her, but the look on his face told her everything; _we’ll talk about this later._

Even though Marth was so sure there wouldn’t be a ‘later.’

She shouldn’t have let him go. _Why_ did she let him go?

Because she wanted to believe in him. And in Robin.

She wanted to believe in them both so badly…

 

* * *

 

Robin and the remaining Risen were no more than a hundred yards away, and it didn’t take long for Chrom to bridge the gap.

He didn’t know what he was going to do. He didn’t have a plan. But then again, he rarely ever did.

Had Chrom not been so focused on Robin, he probably would’ve noticed the way that Falchion began to glow ever so faintly, getting brighter and brighter the closer he got.

“Robin!” He yelled to her, only fifty yards away now.

If she’d heard him, she didn’t give any sort of reaction to show it, so he called out again, louder this time.

“Robin, listen to me! You’ve got to snap out of it!”

Nothing.

Chrom let out a frustrated sigh as he dared to close the distance even more.

After all the skirmishes he’d had with roving packs of Risen, it was a rather strange experience to be in such proximity to these ones, who paid him no mind at all.

As Robin brought her fists down on the undead soldiers, Chrom could now feel the tremors created with each successive blow. They were like miniature earthquakes, and he had to fight somewhat to stay on his feet.

“ _Robin!_ Please just–!” The Ylissean prince started, cut off when Robin finally stopped what she was doing and looked his way. Those burning pools of red glared at him with an intense hatred. It left his voice caught in his throat once more. He never would’ve expected to see such an expression aimed his way. Not from Robin.

But then he realized… she wasn’t looking at him, per se.

She was looking down at the Falchion in his right hand.

Only then did Chrom realize that his blade was shining a brilliant shade of light blue. Its cool hue stood in stark contrast to the blazing and fiery gleam in Robin’s eyes.

Her wings flared out in something similar to a threat display as the remaining Risen were all but forgotten. She let loose another howling roar, and it ripped through the air. It wasn’t nearly as loud as the first one, but the volume still made Chrom wince.

Before he even registered what was happening, the back of Robin’s hand connected with his body in one swift movement. It was like being run over by a wagon, or maybe being smacked with the trunk of a tree.

Chrom was sent flying a good couple feet before he landed, laying sprawled on his back. He was left dazed for a few seconds before he tried to sit up. His torso gave a sharp ache in response to the movement, though, and that stopped him in his tracks. It was a feeling he was only vaguely familiar with, but one he knew nonetheless.

At least one of his ribs was definitely broken.

…Maybe more than one.

He looked up and saw Robin looming over him, one fist raised in the air. As it came crashing down, Chrom could’ve sworn he heard the others calling his name in the distance.

His eyes snapped tightly shut, and he braced himself.

But right as her fist was about to impact with his prone form, it stopped.

It just… stopped.

Then, after a very long moment, it slowly pulled away. And after waiting for the blow that never came, Chrom's eyes peeked open. 

Robin clutched at her wrist with her other hand, and Chrom realized she was shaking; her whole body was trembling. Her eyes were back to normal, as well. No longer glowing or red. The words ‘stormy gray’ were more fitting than ever now, as a new wave of tears spilled down her face.

She looked absolutely horrified.

“I… w-what have I… I–” Robin stammered, barely able to find her voice. It came out broken, just as shaky as her body. Her gaze shifted from Chrom, down to her hands. To her clawed fingers, specifically. She stared at them, appalled.

Even if she couldn’t get the words out, Chrom knew what she was trying to say; _what have I done?_

“R-Robin, it’s okay! Y-You didn’t mean it, I know you didn’t! I’m not– I’m alright, see–!” He tried to reassure her, scrambling to get back up to his feet. His own pained grunt interrupted him, though, as his chest protested the sudden movement yet again.

Instead, he held his hands up, trying to calm her. The poor woman looked like she was seconds away from full-on sobbing, and Chrom wanted to comfort her so badly. But how could he? He already knew that his words weren’t helping, and his words were all he had.

Those new wings of hers started to curl around Robin’s kneeling form, almost like a shield. She stared at them as well, even more shock and disbelief finding its way on her face.

She started scooting back, away from him.

“Robin, wait. I’m not mad. Please, just… Let’s just go home,” he pleaded as he forced himself to sit up this time, moving slowly as he fought through the pain. Which probably wasn’t good for him, but he didn’t care.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she shook her head. She rose to her feet and continued to back up. Whatever thoughts were racing through her mind, Chrom knew that he didn’t like them.

The Ylissean prince got up as well soon after, trying to follow her.

Robin’s steps quickened in response, until she turned her back to him. The wings that had been folded in on her now spread once more, and they started beating at the air repeatedly. Slowly at first, but getting faster and faster.

Again dust and debris whipped up around her, and Chrom had to shield his face with one arm to keep from getting sand in his eyes.

And then Robin was running. Running away from him. From the others. From everything.

She ran until she was airborne, until her wings lifted her up off of the ground, carrying her higher and higher into the sky. The winds died down as she got farther away, and Chrom lowered his arm.

“Robin, don’t– don’t go!” Chrom found himself screaming at the top of his lungs, as loud as his voice could go. He tried to chase after her the best he could, but his injuries wouldn’t let him. “ _Please_ , come back!”

She didn’t even turn her head to look back at him.

And then Robin was gone.


	20. Turn and Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which many surprising discoveries are made._   
> 

Chrom couldn’t believe it.

They’d hardly even had a true reunion, and now Robin was gone again.

A new pain rose up in his chest, only this one had nothing to do with his broken ribs. He collapsed down onto his knees, and Falchion clattered softly to the ground at his side. He could vividly picture the look on Robin’s face, as if she was still sitting before him. She’d looked completely disgusted with herself, like she thought she was a monster. And while he couldn’t deny that she _looked_ more monstrous, he still believed with all his heart that she hadn’t meant to do those things. She hadn’t meant to hurt him.

Tears started to form in his own eyes as Chrom felt so utterly powerless; he had been powerless to save Emmeryn, and he had been powerless to stop Robin from leaving.

“Chrom…? Chrom, are you alright?” Lissa’s hesitant voice reached his ears as his little sister walked up to stand behind him. Her hand rested gently on his shoulder.

“Might have a… a cracked rib or two,” he responded as he just barely managed to force the words out. He swiped the tears away from his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to play it off like it was just too dusty.

“Here, try and lay down,” she told him before turning to look over her shoulder. “Marth, could you go get Maribelle or Libra? I-I don’t think I can do this alone.”

 _Marth_.

Chrom grimaced as he realized that she had almost been exactly right about Robin killing him. _Almost_ , which was more than he thought would have been the case. He’d _almost_ been so wrong. He’d _almost_ forced Lissa to watch both of her older siblings die.

“Lissa, is there anything I can do to assist you?” Frederick asked, interrupting Chrom’s thoughts. The brunet knight still looked considerably shaken, but it seemed as though he was forcing himself to regain his composure.

It was Chrom who answered his question, though.

“Frederick, I need you to get… get her body. Please.”

He didn’t need to clarify who he was talking about.

“Y-yes, of course. Right away, milord,” Frederick stated, doing as he was told with utmost haste.

After everything that had happened in the last few hours, Chrom was so incredibly exhausted. They all were, he was sure. However, none of them could afford to fully rest just yet.

“…You’re Prince Chrom, right?” A new voice spoke up not long after Frederick left, just before Chrom was about to do as Lissa had instructed and lay down.

He and his younger sister both turned to see the pair that had been riding on the back of that golden dragon earlier in the battle. So they were still here then, huh? Well, the dragon was nowhere to be seen, but they _were_ accompanied by a young girl with green and golden blonde hair that definitely hadn’t been present during the fight.

What an odd trio this was.

“T-That’s right,” Chrom replied with some hesitance. “And… who are you exactly?”

It was the ebony-haired mage who took the lead.

“Tharja,” she introduced herself curtly. She then pointed to the man, “Gregor,” and then to the girl, “Nowi. It’s a long story, but… we were here to help Robin.”

“She’s your friend, right?” The young blonde questioned with a sort of eager, spirited tone. Chrom was taken aback by such childlike energy.

“Y-Yes, she is,” he stated. “I take it… did you three have a hand in her escape from the Plegians at the Border Sands?”

The three of them nodded, almost in unison.

“She is very kind young woman. Also very persuasive,” the older fellow chimed in, referring to Robin. Chrom couldn’t place the man's strange accent; he’d never heard anything like it before. “Such anger is not normal for her, yes?”

It was Chrom’s turn to nod.

“I told you guys I can go after her if you want me to,” Nowi pointed out, a faint pouting tone to her voice. Chrom couldn’t help but find himself somewhat amused by that, if only the tiniest bit, and he also wondered just how the young girl planned on following Robin.

“And Gregor already say is no good. Robin is needing the… how you say… alone time.”

“But Robin doesn’t _like_ being alone!” Nowi argued. “We’re a lot alike like that, y’know? I’ve gotten angry like that before when I get really, really upset.”

“Yeah, except _you’re_ not big enough to demolish an entire city if you decide to go on a rampage,” Tharja remarked.

“Hey! I totally could if I wanted to!” The blonde objected. “Well, maybe not a normal-sized city, a-and not that I _would_ want to! But still!”

“Um, sorry to interrupt… whatever this is, but my brother really needs to get some rest before we start our march back home,” Lissa spoke up.

“Right. Of course. That’s part of what I wanted to discuss in the first place. I don’t know  _how_ we got so far off topic,” Tharja noted with a side-eye aimed Nowi’s way. “The thing is, Plegia isn’t the most… ideal place for us to be right now. We were… hoping you might allow us to accompany you back to Ylisse.”

“Any friend of Robin’s is a friend of mine. And considering how much you helped us in that fight, I’d say that’s the least I can do,” Chrom noted. “But speaking of which, what happened to that dragon that was with you?”

“I’m right here!” Nowi stated.

“Y-you? But you’re…” And then the realization dawned on him not but a second later. “You’re a manakete.”

“Leave it to Robin to make such interesting friends,” Lissa commented.

“This… This might be a little too forward of me, but the three of you seem like very capable fighters. Instead of just accompanying us back to Ylisse, would you like to join our cause as well?” Chrom offered.

They all seemed surprised by that, sharing a look between the three of them as they mentally weighed their options.

But before they could answer…

“Milord! Milady!” Frederick shouted as he came racing back to Lissa and Chrom’s side. There was a desperate urgency to his tone, one that immediately drew everyone’s attention.

“What is it, Frederick?” The young cleric wondered. She didn’t even bother trying to hide her worry.

“I-It’s… It’s Lady Emmeryn,” the brunet knight panted after skidding to a stop. “She… She’s still alive.”

 

* * *

 

It was practically endless.

The vast stretch of deep blue seemed to go on forever as Robin soared high above the sea. It must’ve been hours since she’d last seen land below her, and yet her wings never seemed to grow tired. She felt like she could stay aloft forever if she wanted to.

Maybe she would.

Afterall, she didn’t feel so gigantic or out of place up in the sky. Not to mention this whole experience was so new and surreal. At this altitude, a slight chill nipped at her exposed skin, though it was a welcome change from the sweltering heat of the desert.

The only sound was that of her feathery wings flapping at a slow and steady pace, as well as the sound of wind rushing by.

And the clouds! Robin could actually touch the clouds. They weren’t puffy or soft like she thought they might be. Instead, as she ran her fingers through the thick wisps of air, they felt more like steam. If steam was cold, that is.

Sure, there was nobody else around, but… perhaps that was for the best.

She couldn’t hurt any one if there was no one to hurt.

No matter how amazing it felt to fly, how liberating and surreal, it wasn’t enough to push away those nagging thoughts in the back of Robin’s mind. Her greatest fear had almost come to life; she’d almost killed Chrom.

Perhaps it had been a rash decision, but Robin was sure that she couldn’t stay with Chrom and the others, nor could she go back to Ylisse. She had to get away, _needed_ to. But she didn’t know where else she could go.

So she decided that it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter where she went, as long as it was _away._

It’d nearly torn her apart when she’d forced herself to ignore Chrom’s pleas. He hadn’t wanted her to go; Robin knew that. She also knew that he wasn’t upset with her. Well, not for almost killing him at least. He _had_ to be upset with her now, after she’d just gone and left like that.

Regardless, she pressed on.

When the seemingly-endless sea finally found its end and Robin spotted land, the sky was starting to fade into a warm, pinkish-orange hue while the sun dipped ever closer to the horizon. As she drew closer to this new stretch of land, there was one striking feature that immediately caught her eye, even from such a high altitude.

It was a tree.

At least, it _looked_ like a tree. The only problem was that it was absolutely enormous; its size was more comparable to that of a mountain than anything else.

Robin was immediately filled with a brimming curiosity, a desire to learn more about this strange new sight. Her aimless flight now had a destination. But now she was faced with quite a challenge.

While not necessarily easy, taking off from the ground and staying up in the air had been two fairly simple tasks.

Landing, on the other hand, was not.

Her first take-off had been achieved pretty much on instinct. So focused on trying to get away from Chrom and the others, it was almost like her wings had taken over for her. Now, without that adrenaline-fueled panic, she actually had to think about how this whole “wings” thing worked.

Bringing herself closer to the maybe-tree, Robin circled around several times just trying to figure out how she would begin her descent. It was a bit of trial-and-error at first, until she got her wings at just the right angle to start gliding downward.

There didn’t seem to be any people around. None that were screaming in terror upon seeing her, at least. Which was good. Robin didn’t particularly feel like dealing with terrified strangers right now.

Her landing wasn’t a complete disaster, but it was far from graceful. She’d tried taking things slow, but that sadly didn’t stop her from tumbling to her knees as she hit the ground. Those would probably end up with bruises in the morning.

On the bright side, Robin hadn’t crashed into the tree, so she considered that a success.

Getting back up onto her feet, Robin’s gaze trailed up and up to the branches stretching high above her head, filled with millions upon millions of vibrant emerald leaves.

She could hardly believe her eyes. To see it from the sky was one thing, to actually stand underneath it was a whole nother. Before now, the tallest trees she’d seen weren’t much taller than she was, but this one was pretty much normal-sized in comparison to her. And anything big enough to look _normal-sized_ to a fifty-foot giant was bound to be incredible.

Lush green highlands surrounded it.

Shallow water pooled around its base in rich shades of blue-green.

Its long, twisting roots were partially submerged as they eventually intertwined into a trunk so wide that Robin was positive she couldn’t wrap her arms all the way around it. Actually… it didn’t look like it was just a single trunk; it looked like several trunks woven into one.

As she continued staring up at what was probably one of the most beautiful pieces of nature she’d ever seen, a childish desire started to creep into her mind.

She wanted to climb it.

All the way to the top, if she could.

Sure, she could just _fly_ up there, but… that wasn’t quite the same.

Robin couldn’t explain why, but she just wanted to. It was that simple.

Her steps were cautious as she walked closer, taking great care not to trample over anything delicate. Once she was right up next to the tree, she pulled off her boots and set them down, tucked… mostly out of sight. After that, she slipped out of her cloak, which ended up being a little more difficult with the new limbs on her back. Once it was off, she folded it neatly and placed it on top of her boots.

Next, she grabbed onto the lowest-hanging branch with both hands and, after testing it against her weight, she started to hoist herself up, keeping her wings folded as close to her body as possible. She braced her bare feet against the trunk, reached for the next branch, and repeated the process.

Much like with the flight over the ocean, her exhaustion was virtually nonexistent. As she climbed higher and higher, Robin’s muscles never strained or protested her movements. It wasn’t that she felt full of energy or anything like that, but she didn’t feel tired either. Certainly not as tired as she should’ve been.

It didn’t feel like much time had passed before Robin neared the top. Even when the branches started to cluster closer together, and even when her horns or clothes snagged on them more than once, she was sure that she could safely reach the peak.

What she found there was almost even more incredible than the tree itself.

Somehow she hadn’t noticed it from the sky, but there was a clearing waiting for her at its highest point. A grass clearing. At the top of a tree. Not only that, but in the center of the clearing, there was a shrine made of mossy stone. A staircase, too small for someone her size, led from the altar down into the tree’s trunk.

Robin suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment as she realized this tree must be some sort of sanctum. And she’d climbed it like a carefree child. But it’d been such harmless fun, and she hadn’t broken anything, so it wasn’t _that_ disrespectful, right?

It still didn’t seem like there was anyone else around, either.

Just her and this beautiful, magical place.

She moved to sit down on her knees in the grass, enjoying the tickly feeling of it on her feet. As she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, she nearly flinched when her claw-like nails lightly scraped against her skin.

Right. She’d almost forgotten about those.

 _Idiot. How could you forget?_ Robin berated herself, repeatedly flexing her fingers as she stared down at them. Almost absentmindedly, she ran her tongue along her now-sharper teeth.

After a moment, she blinked and shook her head. She needed a distraction, something to take her mind off of this.

The sun still hadn’t fully gone down, yet such a peaceful atmosphere might have convinced Robin to rest her eyes.

There was still so much to see and explore, though…

Once again, curiosity egged her on.

She leaned forward to take a closer look at the shrine, propping herself up with her hands. It was a simple structure with a fountain of crystal-clear water built into it. Intricate runes and glyphs were carved into the stonework, and she vaguely recognized a few of them, similar to the ancient and arcane symbols found in most spellbooks. And in front of the fountain was—

Robin froze, holding her breath.

On top of a stone slab, laying on a bed of flowers, was a young woman wearing a sleeveless red dress. Her long forest green hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, and her ears… Her ears looked exactly like Nowi’s.

If not for the slow rise and fall of her chest, Robin might have thought she was dead. Eyes closed with a peaceful expression on her face, the manakete was almost perfectly still in what appeared to be a deep slumber.

That is, until her eyelids suddenly flew open, and emerald green locked with stormy gray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double cliffhangers?  
> Double cliffhangers.
> 
> I regret nothing >:3c


	21. Stay and See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which someone makes a confession, and stories are told._   
> 

Robin wasn’t sure how much time had passed as she and this manakete simply maintained eye contact, neither one moving. It couldn’t have been more than a few short seconds, but it felt so much longer than it really was. 

She didn’t know what to do. Should she say something? And if so, what?

Luckily, Robin didn’t have to have that internal debate for long. 

Not when a bright flash of light interrupted her thoughts, and left her temporarily blinded for just a moment. When it faded, Robin was greeted with a familiar-looking draconic form. It was somewhat larger that Nowi’s, with scales that seemed paler and more muted in color.

The stance that the manakete took was a defensive one, muscles tensed and ready to strike. Her leafy wings were flared out in an attempt to herself look bigger, and Robin’s own wings trembled in anticipation even as they remained folded against her back.

 _“Who are you?”_ The manakete questioned. Her voice was somehow gentle and fierce at the same time– far different from the childlike, energetic tone that Nowi had.

“I-I… my name’s Robin. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, I was just passing through, a-and I didn’t think anyone else was around.” The words came tumbling out faster than she would’ve liked, nervous and uncertain. “I don’t mean you any harm, r-really I… I can leave, if you’d like.”

A moment of silence followed as the manakete seemed to contemplate Robin’s words. She still seemed tense, but not as much as she had been; some of that defensive caution in her emerald eyes was replaced by curiosity.

 _“Robin…”_ she murmured, as if testing the name on her tongue. _“My name is Tiki. You say you were just passing through, but… what brings you to the Mila Tree?”_

 _The Mila Tree, huh? What a lovely name…_ Robin mused.

“I… I’ve never seen anything like this before,” the albino woman explained, allowing herself to relax a bit. She slowly leaned back, resting her hands in her lap. Her gaze swept over the clearing again as she spoke. “I was… well, I was quite curious. I still am. Do you… live here?”

 _“Yes, for the time being,”_ Tiki replied. Then, after that, there was another brief flash of light. The form of a young woman returned, sitting upright on the flowerbed, and the faintest of smiles tugged at the corners of her lips. “It’s funny, I’ve never seen anything like _you_ before.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Robin remarked with a bit of a lighthearted chuckle. “I… I’m sorry if I frightened you.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I’ll admit you surprised me, but you remind me of… someone I used to know. An old friend.”

“I never thought I’d meet another manakete,” Robin murmured.

“That’s not what you are, is it?” Tiki wondered as surprise lit up her features.

“N-No, I… at least, I don’t think so. Um, I don’t really know, honestly. I-It’s kind of a long story.”

“I have plenty of time, if you wouldn’t mind telling it.”

 

* * *

 

“Is it true? What Frederick said?” Marth questioned immediately after Chrom exited the medical tent. He hadn’t expected her to be waiting for him right outside, so he visibly flinched in response.

It’d been a few hours since they had left Castle Plegia behind them, and with camp set for the evening, every single one of the Shepherds was eager to hear the news of Lady Emmeryn’s condition. Word spread like wildfire.

In all the hustle and bustle, Chrom hadn’t really gotten the chance to speak with Marth since… since she’d called him ‘father.’ He’d half expected her to vanish since then, or avoid him at the very least, but here she was.

“Y-Yes. It’s true,” the Ylissean lord finally answered. “Emmeryn’s still alive. Breathing, but just barely. She isn’t… waking or responding to anything, so they… Libra and the others think it must be some kind of head trauma,” he explained further.

“So she… she’s in a coma then?” Marth clarified, speaking softer than before.

Chrom shook his head.

“It’s too early to say for certain; there’s a chance she might only need time to rest and recover.” That was the same assurance that Libra had given him.

Perhaps it was just the monk’s faith and optimism, but Chrom would cling to that faint bit of hope no matter what. The fact that Emmeryn wasn’t outright dead was already a miracle in and of itself. Was it too unreasonable to pray for another?

“I thought for sure that history would repeat itself,” Marth murmured quietly. “But I… I suppose I was wrong. I’m glad.”

“About that…” Chrom started, letting his words trail off. There was a cautious edge to his voice, but the young swordswoman seemed to wince nonetheless. She knew what was coming next.

“I’m sure you have some questions of your own for me,” she stated, “and I… I do owe you answers, but I would ask that we talk somewhere more private.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Marth. If anything, I still owe _you_ for all that you’ve done for us. Your aid has been invaluable these past few days,” Chrom asserted. “Of course I’ve got questions, but… if you don’t want to answer them, I… I understand.” He didn’t actually understand, but he wasn’t about to force her to talk about it.

Marth shook her head. “No, you deserve to know the truth.”

“Alright. Dinner’s going to be starting in a while. We should be able to leave and get back before anyone notices we’re gone,” he noted.

After that, the pair made their way through the Shepherd’s campsite.

No one stopped them from leaving or asked where they were going. Mostly because there wasn’t really anyone around to do so; everyone else was either preparing tonight’s meal or waiting to eat it. Regardless, Marth seemed extra cautious, checking over her shoulder multiple times throughout their little stroll. She wanted to be absolutely sure that she and Chrom weren’t being followed.

Eventually, they found a small outcrop of sandstone not far from the edge of camp. It didn’t provide much cover, but it was probably the best option they had out in the middle of a desert. Even when Marth was certain that the two of them were alone, there was a clear reluctance to begin any sort of conversation. She barely even knew where to start. Well… no, that wasn’t entirely true. She did have a pretty good place to begin.

“I suppose this might be obvious by now, but… my name isn’t actually Marth. That was just an alias,” the blue-haired swordswoman admitted. “My… My real name is Lucina.” Not like that name had any meaning to him. Not yet, anyway.

She paused again, carefully mulling over her next choice of words.

Things only got more complicated from here.

“Perhaps this would be easier if…” She took a hesitant step forward, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. “Here, look closely.”

Confused but curious, Chrom did as he was told. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to be looking for, but… _Lucina_ seemed insistent. Chrom rather liked that name, and couldn’t help but wonder why she’d felt the need to use an alias in the first place.

 _Perhaps that was part of what she has to tell m–_ Chrom’s thoughts were interrupted as his eyes locked with Lucina’s. Specifically, his attention was drawn to her left eye, where a familiar symbol was emblazoned on her iris.

The same symbol on his shoulder.

“That’s the… the…”

“The Brand of the Exalt,” she finished for him. “I… You see, the reason I knew so much about the future was because that’s… that’s where I’m from. I’m… I’m your daughter, from the future.”

Lucina let her words sink in, expecting any number of reactions, from denial to disbelief.

But that wasn’t at all what was going through Chrom’s mind. Maybe he  _should_ have been shocked, but somehow… he wasn’t. Not that what she said wasn’t surprising, it was just that Chrom wasn’t _surprised_. As crazy as she sounded, it explained a lot; why her swordplay matched his own almost perfectly, why her blade was an identical copy of Falchion, why she had knowledge of events that hadn't happened yet.

He'd seen her come running out of a portal in the sky for Naga’s sake.

They hadn’t spent that much time together, but after what time they had shared, he was ready to believe just about anything she told him. And Chrom really meant it when he said he still owed her so much.

The silence drew on for a few moments longer before he finally broke it.

“Why… Why are you here, then?” The Ylissean royal wondered, with only pure curiosity in his voice. No hostility or anger.

She answered his question with one of her own. “Do you remember what I told you when we first met?”

“About how our fight with those Risen was just a prelude to an even greater calamity,” he recalled. That warning made a lot more sense now than it had back then.

Lucina nodded before telling her story.

The story of a dark and bleak future, filled chaos and bloodshed; of families being ripped apart, and entire cities being left in ruins. It was a series of tragedy after tragedy, beginning with… with Chrom’s death, and reaching its climax with the revival of Grima, the Fell Dragon.

Chrom had heard tales of the great beast several times in the past, defeated by the First Exalt about a thousand years ago, yet still worshiped as a god of destruction by those in Plegia who called themselves the Grimleal.

About halfway through Lucina’s telling, Chrom took her hand in his, as a comforting gesture. This was clearly a subject that was hard for her to talk about.

“We didn’t have any other options left. The Fire Emblem was lost and I was unable to perform the ritual to unlock Falchion’s full power,” she went on. “There was only a handful of survivors left; the other children of the Shepherds and I. We were so certain that the end was nigh, but then… Naga came to us. She said that she could send us back in time, to before Grima’s resurrection. It was a risk— a big one— but it was either that or… or certain death.”

“And the others, your friends… Where are they?” Chrom asked.

Lucina shook her head. “I’m not sure. We got separated while we were going through the portal. I-I don’t even know if they’re still alive,” she explained, her voice wavering the slightest bit toward the end.

Chrom wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace. “If they’re out there, we’ll find them. I promise.”

She returned the hug gratefully. “Thank you, Father.”

“That’s still so strange to my ears,” he murmured with a soft chuckle.

“I-I can call you something else, if you’d like?”

“No, no, you’re fine. It’ll just take some getting used to,” he said with a smile. It faded a bit as a thought occurred to him, though. “There’s just… one more question I have, Lucina. Who… Who's your mother?”

Lucina seemed to wince a bit at that question, slowly pulling out of their hug.

“It’s… It’s Robin,” his daughter answered hesitantly.

Chrom’s eyes widened, but once again he couldn’t say he was all too surprised. It just made sense. _Of course_ it was Robin. Who else could it be but the kind, witty, and mysterious woman he’d come to care so much for? His smile returned full force as he had another realization.

“Then… that means we found a way to return her to normal, right?”

But Lucina’s hesitance remained.

“Not— no, not exactly,” she stammered.

“What do you mean? It’s not as if I could…” Chrom didn't finish that sentence.

“In my past, my mother was never like that. She— Robin was never a giant. I don’t know why she’s different in this past, but… I think it might have something to do with my friends and I traveling back in time.”

“O-Oh,” was the only response he could muster.

“There’s… There’s probably one other thing I should mention. Something I learned while with the Shepherds.”

“Go on.”

“In order to be resurrected, Grima requires a mortal vessel; a human body he can possess. It can’t be just anyone. They have to be of his blood, as we are of Naga’s,” Lucina told him. “I think— no, I’m _certain_ that… that Robin is that vessel.”

Now there was the one thing she said that Chrom refused to believe.

“I… no. There’s no way,” he denied. “She can’t b—”

“I didn’t want to believe it either. Not at first,” she interrupted him. “But you saw what happened to her back at Castle Plegia; t-those wings, _those eyes…_ I would recognize them anywhere. I’ve seen Grima for myself, in the flesh, and it's not a sight I'll forget anytime soon.”

“There has to be some way to stop it. There still _has_ to be some way to change her back to normal,” Chrom insisted.

“If there is, then… there’s only one person I know that might have the answer.”

 

* * *

 

“I think I may know of someone who could help you,” Tiki noted thoughtfully.

“Y-You do?” Robin stuttered.

“You’ve heard of Naga, yes?”

“The goddess? Of course,” Robin replied. “No offense, but you’re not suggesting I get help from a _goddess_ , are you?”

“That’s merely the title bestowed to her by mankind. In truth, she’s no more a god than you or me. Though she is undoubtedly the strongest of the Divine Dragons,” Tiki clarified. “If she cannot help you in some way, I don’t know who could.”

“How… How would I even find her? O-Or speak with her, for that matter?” Robin murmured.

“If I’m not mistaken, she still resides on Mount Prism; it’s a mountain situated on a peninsula on the far eastern end of Ylisse,” the manakete informed her. “I can take you there, but I will have to inform my guardian before I leave.”

“A guardian, huh?” Robin echoed. And then she realized something. “A-Are you… royalty?”

Tiki actually giggled a bit at that question.

“Not quite, although many of the people of Valm might tell you otherwise,” she replied. “They call me the Voice of Naga, so I suppose you could say I’m more of a priestess.”

“Is it alright for you to leave the Mila Tree, then? I can probably find my way there by myself if I have to,” the white-haired giantess offered.  

“No, I think it would be best if I accompanied you,” Tiki stated. There was something she was leaving unsaid, but Robin wasn’t about to pester her about it. “Besides, I could use an opportunity to stretch my wings.”

“Alright. Er, when will we be able to head out?”

“No later than noon tomorrow. My guardian should be here to visit me by first light, and we can leave after I’ve talked with her. For now, I’d like to return to my slumber. Feel free to wake me if you have need of anything, though.”

“Oh. Okay. I just need to, um. Well, I left my boots and cloak down at the base of the tree. I just need to go retrieve those,” Robin noted. “…Actually, ah, there is one favor I might ask of you, i-if you don’t mind.”

“Yes?”

“Could you, um… teach me how to land?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that, on the day this chapter is posted, I'm finishing up finals this week.  
> So, depending on how things go, I _might_ be able to get an update out by the 17th, but in all likelihood, I'll take a little break and the next update won't be until the 24th.  
>  Sorry for any confusion, but I hope you enjoyed this latest installment :3


	22. The In-Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which Robin crosses the sea once more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story; back when I posted the last chapter I kinda forgot that the 24th is Christmas Eve.   
> 'cause I'mmmm smart.   
> So I decided to go ahead and post this chapter a little early since we've got family coming over for Christmas Eve and I won't be able to stay up late to post it right on Sunday like I normally do.
> 
> Anyways, without further ado, I hope you enjoy! ;3

The air was ashen and stagnant.

Actually, ‘dead’ was probably a better word to describe the heavy atmosphere that filled the area.

Dark clouds of smoke and storm intermingled to completely smother any sunlight that tried to shine through, making it seem as if there was no sun at all. The only source of light came from the roaring flames that endlessly scorched the land. Green was a rare color. Flowers might as well have been fairytales, and what could once be called trees weren’t much more than smoldering husks formerly known as plant life.

When it rained it was not water, but stinging and burning poison that only served to fuel the fires, not quell them. Most lakes, ponds, and rivers were tainted to the point of being undrinkable, for even if their waters didn’t taste of death, that was what it led to in less than a day, no matter how many times it was boiled.

Buildings and homes were hardly more than piles of rubble. Even once-mighty fortresses were not spared from this fate. What had been rich and bountiful farmlands were reduced to barren fields of soil too poor and dry to produce anything other than weeds.

If there was such a thing as hell, this is was certainly close.

In a body that was not her own, Robin flew above it all. And she… _liked_ what she saw.

This was her domain.

She possessed unparalleled strength, and she could feel it in every muscle, every fiber of her being. With no effort, her wings carried her through the air. Her monstrous shadow engulfed the world. There wasn’t a soul alive who could ever even hope to defeat her. There were hardly any souls left alive to begin with.

Save for those few insolent pests.

Those wretched insects just wouldn’t learn their place. Like cockroaches, they just didn’t seem to die.

Whatever attempts they made at winning were futile. If only they could realize that.

No matter. They couldn’t hide forever. And once they came crawling out to try and escape… well, they would find quite the surprise waiting for them. She couldn’t wait to hear their screams of terror, their pleas for mercy. She would relish every moment she snuffed out their miserable, insignificant lives one by one. Especially that damned spawn of Naga. If Robin had her way, that blue-haired brat would suffer more agony than any who’d come before her. She would make that girl watch as–

_No._

No, these weren’t her thoughts.

This wasn’t her.

_Don’t you dare lay a hand on her, yoU MONSTER–_

**_“Why do you still resist?”_ **

 

* * *

 

Robin woke with a start as a spray of bitter cold slush hit her face. She’d been laying on her side, but she immediately sat up, nearly barreling into the dragonic form of Tiki hovering above her. It took her a moment to realize she was panting, and the feathers of her wings were ruffled up like a startled bird.

_“Robin, it’s alright! It was only a dream,”_ Tiki reassured her, staying in the air a couple yards away from Robin’s face.

_A dream. Just a dream…_ Robin echoed in her mind, mentally breathing a sigh of relief. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

_“No, I’m fine. You weren’t tossing and turning, but… it looked like you were in pain,”_ Tiki explained. _“You didn’t wake up when I called you name. My apologies for startling you._ ”

“You don’t have to apologize for that,” Robin stated sincerely. “Thank you for waking me.”

Tiki landed and returned to her humanoid form after that.

Taking a quick glance around, Robin saw that it was already dawn. The early morning sky was a canvas of cerulean streaked with pink and orange, creating a beautiful array of colors. The dazzling display stood in stark contrast to the murky darkness of her dream. Even if it _was_ just a dream, Robin was relieved to see the sky so bright and lively.

“Must have been quite a nightmare,” the green-haired manakete noted.

“O-Oh, it wasn’t really that bad,” Robin dismissed sheepishly. Perhaps it might help to talk about it, but she _really_ didn't want to. “Your, uh, your guardian will be here soon, right?” She asked, trying to change the subject.

Whether or not Tiki believed Robin, she didn’t push the topic any further, opting to answer Robin’s question instead.

“We still have quite some time before she arrives. Why do you ask?”

“I… I think it would be best if she… didn’t see me.” Robin couldn't decide if this was more or less embarrassing than the flying lesson.

“You want to hide from her?” Tiki wondered, her tone an equal mix of concern and amusement. A rosy hue started to find its way to Robin’s cheeks.

“Well, people don’t always have the… best reactions to meeting me for the first time and I… It would just be a lot easier if we didn't have to deal with that, right?” The white-haired giantess tried to defend herself.

“I understand,” Tiki stated. “Though I’m not sure where exactly you could hide…”

“The branches of the Mila Tree would work. Er, if that’s alright. I don’t want to be disrespectful,” Robin suggested.

“Oh, that’s hardly disrespectful. Although, I mean no offense, but are you sure they’ll hold you?”

“Y-Yes. Quite sure, actually. That’s… well, that’s how I got up here.”

Tiki giggled at Robin’s little confession. Her blush reddened more. “I’m sorry, I just… I hadn’t expected that. I suppose it does makes sense, given that you _did_ ask for landing lessons.”

“You certainly would’ve woken up a lot sooner if I’d tried landing up here,” Robin joked in an attempt to relieve some of her embarrassment.

“I’m sure,” Tiki agreed, still smiling. “You might want to get situated now then, Say’ri is usually very punctual.”

Robin nodded before doing exactly that. She gathered up her boots and cloak, which she couldn’t very well leave behind if she planned on hiding, and then climbed down the very same branches she’d used to get up. She didn’t go very far, just far enough to be out of sight from anyone in the clearing. Positioning herself comfortably on a decent-sized branch, Robin waited.

She didn't have to wait a terribly long time, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, before her ears picked up voices above her.

“Lady Tiki? Lady Tiki, are you here?” A woman that Robin didn't recognize called out, sounding worried… and somewhat out of breath.

“I’m here, Say’ri,” Tiki called back calmly. “Is something wrong?”

“We received reports of a… a large creature… flying toward the Mila Tree last night,” the woman explained quickly between each gasp for air. “I… I came as soon as I could to… to make sure you were safe.”

“Peace, Say’ri. There’s no need to worry. As you can see, I'm perfectly safe,” Tiki assured her.

“O-Of course. My apologies.” A moment of silence passed. “…If you do not mind my asking, is there any reason you are up so early? You are usually still sleeping when I arrive.”

“Yes, actually. There’s something I’d like to discuss,” the manakete replied. “I intend to visit Mount Prism soon, to meet with Naga. I shouldn’t be gone for more than a week.”

“I will accompany you, then,” Say’ri asserted.

“You… want to come with me?” Tiki clarified, sounding somewhat surprised.

“As your sworn protector, I insist. ‘Tis a long journey to the eastern ends of Ylisse. If any harm should befall you, I would like to be there to give my aid.”

Robin bit back a swear. She probably should’ve seen something like this coming. Of course Tiki’s _guardian_ wouldn’t let her leave alone to go on a journey across the sea.

Her heart ached as she was reminded of Frederick and Chrom.

“Say’ri, what of your family? I’m afraid I must leave as soon as possible, and you can’t disappear without telling them where you’ve gone. Not with the recent conflicts on your borders,” Tiki pointed out. “They may think something terrible happened to you.”

“This is my duty, Lady Tiki. They will understand.”

“Say’ri–”

“I-It’s okay, Tiki,” Robin called up hesitantly. “S-She… she can come with us if she wants to.”

Another moment of silence passed, this one far more awkward than the other. Robin tensed, fearing that she might’ve made a mistake by speaking out.

“…Perhaps you should introduce yourself, Robin,” Tiki replied.

Yes, perhaps she should.

As Robin climbed back up into the clearing, she was greeted with a sight that wasn’t all too surprising. The woman who she assumed was Say’ri stood in front of Tiki, placing herself between the manakete and the giantess as she took a defensive stance. One hand rested on the blade at her hip, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

Any other details came second to that.

Her long black hair flowed freely down her back, blocked from her face by a white headband. The armor she wore was mostly lavender in color, with accents of darker purple and white mixed in. The sleek-looking style of it reminded Robin a lot of Lon’qu. While not the same as his, it was certainly similar.

“H-Hello,” Robin greeted as she stammered nervously, staying right at the edge of the clearing. She didn’t dare get any closer, worried that she might scare Say’ri more than she already had with just her presence.

“You… You must be the one our scouts saw,” the swordswoman observed. She sounded calm, but even Robin could make out the faintest hints of fear on her features. “My lady, you… you know this– _her_?” Even as she asked Tiki that question, her eyes remained focused on the white-haired giantess in front of her.

“Yes. I did not intend to deceive you, but Robin here thought that you might react… poorly to her appearance,” Tiki answered, leaving out the fact that she hadn’t known Robin until just last night. For now, it was probably best to omit that detail. “She requires Naga’s aid, and I wish to show her to Mount Prism.”

“I… I see,” Say’ri stated, letting herself relax just the slightest bit. “While I am glad you did not intend to travel alone, I still must insist that I come as well.”

“I suppose there’s nothing I can say that will make you change your mind, then?” Tiki remarked with a faint smile.

“Aye.”

 

* * *

 

Without a doubt, flying over the ocean had to be Robin’s favorite thing to do; the second time around only reaffirmed that.

With the sun shining brightly down on the waves, it was almost like an entirely different experience. The sky was clear and cloudless, as well. Every so often, Robin could make out tiny flecks of white and brown moving on the water’s surface; ships sailing to and fro.

If there was one thing she was going to miss when she was back to normal, it was her wings. She had been so surprised and… almost disgusted, really, when she’d first seen the new limbs curled around her, but seeing them now, spread out as they held her aloft, they really felt like they were a part of her.

Tiki flew on a few yards ahead, leading the way with Say’ri riding on her back. To Robin, it seemed like this wasn’t her first time doing so. The black-haired swordswoman certainly didn’t look nervous, but maybe she was just good at hiding it.

When land was in sight once more, the gleaming white manakete drew back so that she was flying closer to Robin.

“Is something wrong?” Robin checked.

_“No, but we’ll need to find somewhere to land soon,”_ Tiki explained.

“Why?”

Tiki looked surprised by that. Well, as surprised as she could look in her dragon form. _“To rest, of course. We’ve been flying over the ocean for several hours now. Aren’t you tired?”_

“No, not really,” she noted. It was then that she noticed how exhausted Tiki seemed, though. “I can carry you, if you’d like, so we can keep moving?”

_“Thank you for the offer, but… I think it would be best if Say’ri and I had some ground beneath our feet for a while,”_ Tiki declined.

“Oh. Okay.”

_“There’s an old temple of Naga near the northern shoreline, if I’m not mistaken. I believe it’s been abandoned for several years, so we shouldn’t have to worry about humans being there.”_

“Sounds good. I could carry you there at least, unless you’re good to keep flying?”

_“…Is that alright with you, Say’ri?”_

“Aye, if my lady wills it,” Say’ri answered, struggling somewhat to be heard over the roaring winds around them.

After a very careful trade-off, and much caution on all three women’s parts, Robin held both Say’ri and Tiki in hands cupped close to her chest as she flew. While unused to carrying people while flying, Robin was fairly certain that she was doing a pretty good job of it. She and Say’ri even had to stop Tiki from almost falling asleep at one point.

“So warm…” Tiki murmured, nuzzling into Robin’s finger.

“Lady Tiki, please, you must stay awake,” Say’ri insisted, gently shaking the manakete’s shoulder. “Just for a little while longer.”

“Here, Tiki, that’s the temple over there, isn’t it?” Robin asked, shifting her finger up and down ever so slightly. She could make out the old ruins in the distance, surrounded by rolling grasslands.

“Hmm…? Oh, yes, I think it is,” Tiki confirmed. “You remember what I taught you about landing, yes?”

“Er, y-yeah, I think so. You both might want to hold on tight, just in case,” Robin replied a bit nervously. Tiki nodded, while Say’ri looked understandably concerned.

“Are you… Do you not have experience with landing, Robin?” she questioned.

“N-Not really,” Robin admitted. “Don’t worry though, I’m not _that_ bad.” Needless to say, Say’ri wasn’t all too convinced.

Thankfully, this time around, Robin made it to the ground pretty smoothly. With a slow descent, she had to circle a few laps around the temple before touching down.

The temple itself was situated on a large sort of pond, so Robin couldn’t land directly next to it, instead opting for several yards away. Had it been originally built on the water, or had years of abandonment and flooding left it in that state?  

After safely reaching the ground, Robin kept her hands as still and steady as possible until she could kneel down to let Tiki and Say’ri climb off.

“That wasn’t too terrible, was it?” the green-haired manakete asked her guardian in a lighthearted, almost teasing manner as she brushed off her clothes.

“Nay, it was fine,” Say’ri stated simply. She took a sweeping glance of the area, surveying their surroundings. Robin did the same, knowing that she could see farther. Nothing of particular interest caught her eye.

A feather-light weight resting against her leg drew her attention back to herself. Looking down, Robin saw Tiki leaning there, eyelids drooping. The white-haired giantess carefully slid off her cloak, folding it up into a smaller bundle.

“Here, Tiki, why don’t you lay on this?” She offered kindly.

“Mmm?” Tiki murmured a half-hearted, confused response.

“On my cloak, instead of the ground?” Robin clarified, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “You really are tired, huh? Are you going to be alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just… been a few decades since I last traveled so far,” the manakete assured her.

_Decades._

Gods, it was so easy to forget that manaketes lived so much longer than humans. Robin thought about asking Tiki just how old she was, but… that would probably be rude. She remembered that Nowi had said that she was probably around a thousand, and she looked like a young girl. Meanwhile Tiki looked fairly close to Robin or Say'ri in age, at least twice as old as Nowi. Maybe even older…

Pushing those thoughts aside, Robin set her cloak down on the ground beside her leg, just in front of the sleepy manakete. Tiki climbed right on, curling up comfortably in the fabric. She was out in a matter of seconds.

“It may be a while before she wakes again,” Say’ri noted after a few minutes passed in silence.

“How’re you holding up?” Robin wondered.

“I am alright. Thank you for your concern,” the dark-haired swordswoman replied. Her eyes drifted over to the temple again. “I am going to see if there are any fish to be caught. My apologies, but… I do not think I would be able to catch enough for all three of us.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m not really hungry,” Robin noted. Her lack of hunger was normal,something she’d experienced ever since she first awoken at that gigantic stature. But that, coupled with her recent decrease in exhaustion was… interesting to say the least. She could sleep if she wanted to, but she didn’t feel like she _needed_ to.

“Alright then. I shall return shortly,” Say’ri said before leaving Robin alone with the slumbering Tiki.

Speaking of which… maybe Tiki had the right idea. Even if Robin didn’t _feel_ tired, it wouldn’t hurt to let herself relax a little.

She moved carefully so that she didn’t disturb Tiki, but Robin switched from sitting on her knees to having her legs stretched out in front of her. She would’ve laid down on her back, but with her wings that position was a little too uncomfortable.

Instead, she sat back and leaned on her palms as she looked up at the clear blue sky. It was so quiet and peaceful, with only the sound of a gentle breeze every now and then. A brief glance behind her, toward the temple, showed Say’ri standing knee-deep in the water. Curiosity drew Robin’s focus in further. It looked like some of Say’ri’s armor sat on the water’s edge while she stood poised in a ready-to-strike stance.

Was she… trying to catch fish bare-handed?

The black-haired young woman suddenly lunged forward, hands disappearing beneath the surface. In the blink of an eye, she pulled back and threw something silvery-gray onto shore.

She wasn’t _trying_ , she was actually doing it.

_Impressive,_ Robin mused.

After the first fish, it took about ten or fifteen minutes before Say’ri was able to grab another one, and the process continued. Robin could’ve watch her longer, but…

Something new pulled her attention away.

“Mother…? Mother, is that you?”

The sudden voice made her flinch. Turning her head, Robin’s breath caught in her throat as she spotted a familiar shade of royal blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And on that happy little cliffhanger~   
> To those of you who celebrate it, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! And even though Hanukkah ended a few days ago, I hope that was good for those of you who celebrate it as well!
> 
> Also, on an unrelated note;  
> -Things that should exist: a detailed map of Valm  
> -Things that don't exist: a detailed map of Valm  
> idk it just kinda bothers me we're never told where Chon'sin or the other Valmese countries are specifically located.   
> But whatever, that's probably just me. For this story I'm just gonna assume Chon'sin is located kinda close to the Mila Tree. Because I can. :p


	23. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which Robin finds something she didn't know was lost._   
> 

A familiar shade of royal blue, but it wasn’t him.

It wasn’t Chrom.

Robin couldn’t tell if she was relieved by that or not. Not when this stranger had just called her _‘mother_.’ It was a boy, maybe around Lissa’s age. His hair was somewhat messy and disheveled, stopping just below his ears. He held a thick tome close to his chest, and… he wore a cloak that was a miniature, identical copy of her own.

_What on earth…?_

Robin didn’t know what to say. She was hopelessly confused.

There was no way she was old enough to be this boy’s mother… right? She didn’t _think_ she was that old, but then again, she didn’t really know for sure how old she actually was. Amnesia and uncertainty of how human she was certainly didn’t help the matter.

Not only that, but there was the matter of his hair, so close to Chrom’s in color. Of course, maybe that didn’t mean much, considering Marth…

This was starting to give her a headache.

“It _is_ you, Mother!” The boy exclaimed happily, starting to walk closer to where Robin sat. “What happened to you? You look so… wow! After we got separated I was so worried, I… I…” His voice trailed off as he picked up on the clear confusion in her eyes. “Mother? What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me? It’s me, Morgan!”

He was starting to look just as confused as Robin.

“I… I think you might have me mistaken for someone else,” she finally managed after struggling to find her words.

“No, I’m sure of it! You’re Robin, aren’t you? Look you– you even have the same mark,” he pointed to her right hand resting in the grass. “Here, hold on, I–” The boy, Morgan, set his tome down at his feet as he hurried to remove his cloak. He slid it off until his left shoulder was exposed. “See?”

Robin couldn’t really see, actually.

Well, she couldn’t make out the details, but she _did_ see a patch of bright purple on his skin, the same color as the mark on the back of her hand.

“H-Hold on. Is it alright if I get closer?” She asked him.

“Yeah, sure! Of course,” he agreed readily.

Robin spared a quick glance down at Tiki, but the manakete was still fast asleep. Morgan hadn’t seen her yet, since he was standing on the opposite side of Robin.

And then, moving with the same care she’d used earlier, Robin shifted so that she was laying on her side as she leaned forward, resting on her elbow.

Even though Morgan said it was okay, he still took a hesitant step back as he watched her move in. Robin could tell he was a little nervous, but… he trusted her. Which was so strange; she didn’t know who he was— or at least, didn’t _remember_ who he was— but he knew her, and knew her well enough to trust her, even if he wasn’t used to her… new appearance.

Although, Robin supposed it would be pretty normal for a son to trust his mother.

And as she got a closer look at the mark on his shoulder, she was more and more willing to accept that he really was her son. Six piercing eyes connected by intertwining lines; another identical copy to something of hers.

“Y-You said that we got separated, right?” With their new proximity to each other, Robin spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “How long ago was that?”

“Oh. Uh, hmm… maybe a few days ago? I kinda lost track, but it can’t have been more than a week,” he answered, sliding his cloak back over his shoulder and picking up his book.

“Morgan, that… that can’t be right. It’s been at least a month since I—” Since she met Chrom and Lissa.

“A month? No, there’s no way it’s been that long. I woke up in a field not too far from here, I don’t know how I got there, but I’ve just been wandering around trying to find you ever since. If it’d been that long I definitely would’ve starved to death by now,” Morgan argued, only half-joking with that last comment.

“You… You woke up in a field, too?”

With no memory of how he got there. Gods, this was almost getting creepy.

“Yes, I– wait. ‘Too?’ As in the same thing happened to you?”

Robin nodded. “But I… I woke up like this,” she added, gesturing to herself. Well, not exactly like that, but for now it was probably a little too complicated to explain to him that the horns and wings came later.

“Yeah, that… that’s a pretty _big_ difference, huh?” Morgan joked, rubbing the back of his head as he looked up at her. Robin couldn’t help but smile a bit at the attempt at humor. It reminded her of Lissa. 

“I… I’m sorry I don’t remember you,” she apologized. “I was missing a lot memories when I woke up in that field. All I could remember was my name, and that I… well, that I wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“That’s okay! All that matters is that we’re together again!” He reassured her. “… But, if you weren’t out here looking for me, what _are_ you doing here?”

“Oh. We– My companions and I were travelling to Mount Prism. We just stopped here to rest,” Robin explained. “Apparently Naga is there, and she might know of a way to get me back to normal.”

“Wow! So… where are the people you’re travelling with?”

“Well…” Robin slowly moved to sit up before she revealed Tiki slumbering away on the other side of her. “One’s right here. And the other’s by that temple over there,” she stated, cocking her head toward the ruins behind them.

“That’s… she’s a manakete, isn’t she?” Morgan wondered, clearly awestruck. He stared with wide eyes at the green-haired woman curled up on Robin’s cloak.

She nodded again, then glanced back toward the temple. Say’ri was making her way back, carrying a good half-dozen fish. It wouldn’t be long at all before she returned, and when she did…

Well, Robin was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

 

* * *

 

As his mother convinced the black-haired woman that they should wake the other woman before answering too many questions, Morgan was incredibly distracted by all of those fish. They were just about the only thing he could focus on at the moment. Clutching his tome tightly against his stomach, the young tactician hoped that no one else could hear it growling. It was practically _whining_ at the sight of food, so close and yet so far.

Just imagining the smell of fish roasting on a fire made his mouth water.

He was brought out of those thoughts when Robin shifted a bit; at her size, even the slightest movement was enough to draw his attention. Gods, it was still so… incredible to see her like that.

Not only was she at least fifty feet tall, but she also had horns and wings– six of them! And on top of all that, she looked several years younger. Actually, she didn’t look much older than him. Which was weird. Really weird. But then again, what about this _wasn’t_ weird?

Her amnesia was probably the _least_ weird thing. Especially when, the more Morgan thought about it, the more he realized many of his own memories were missing. In fact, he couldn’t remember hardly anything before waking up in that field. He remembered his name, and Robin, and that the two of them had been travelling together, but that was it. He couldn’t even remember where they’d been travelling to.

Distracted by trying to find Robin, Morgan hadn’t even noticed how much he’d forgotten, or that he’d forgotten anything at all. But now that they were reunited, and she mentioned _her_ lost memories, that was when the realization came to him.

“Tiki?”

Once again, Robin interrupted his thoughts. Using her index finger, she gently nudged at the sleeping manakete’s shoulder as she called her name.

“Robin, wait, allow me–” The swordswoman– Say’ri, Morgan reminded himself– started. He took note of the faintest hint of a stutter in her voice.

She was nervous. Why? If he had to guess, probably because of the delicate task Robin was trying to perform. Or maybe it was because of her sharp, claw-like nails. But her touch was so light, so careful; Tiki hardly even stirred, shrugging the fingertip off and curling away from it.

“Tiki, wake up,” Robin insisted, raising her voice just a little, though she didn’t sound frustrated or impatient. The manakete’s eyes slowly fluttered open soon after, and her arms stretched out in front of her, almost like a cat.

“Mmh… Mar-Mar?” She murmured groggily. Her emerald eyes widened though, after she seemed to realize where she was. “O-Oh, Robin. My apologies,” she stated quickly, moving to sit up.

“You’re alright. Sorry to wake you, but… something’s sort of come up,” his mother explained, turning to look toward him. Tiki followed her gaze, and the next thing Morgan knew, all three women had their attention focused on him.

Which, needless to say, was more than a little nerve-racking.

“Who’s this?” Tiki wondered, more curious than anything else.

“This is Morgan,” Robin introduced for him. “He… He was lost, wandering the fields here for the past couple of days.”

The green-haired manakete seemed intrigued by Robin’s explanation, getting up off of the cloak and walking over to him. It seemed like she wanted to get a closer look, for whatever reason.

“Hello there,” she greeted kindly.

“H-Hi,” Morgan stammered.

“I know this might sound crazy, but he… he’s my son,” Robin admitted.

 

* * *

 

Looking the boy over, Tiki couldn’t deny that he bore quite the resemblance to Robin. Of course there was his cloak, with its identical pattern to hers, and then there was his eyes. They were gray like Robin’s, but they also had a faint bluish hue to them.

There was also Morgan’s aura. She could feel a strange, dormant power within him, so similar to the one she felt in Robin, yet weaker and more faint. Both so similar to her own, but different in a way that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

What startled Tiki the most, though she didn’t show it outwardly, was another power mingled in. One that she recognized very clearly.

Tiki knew a member of the Exalted bloodline when she saw one, of one gifted with her mother’s blessing. She was practically drawn to the mark branded upon his right eye. It’d been a long time since she’d last seen one like it, but it was still very familiar to her.

While it was quite an… odd coincidence to have found him here, Tiki believed his and Robin’s words.

Say’ri, on the other hand, was more than a little uncertain.

“I am sorry, but… how… how can he…” The Chon’sin princess hesitated to finish her question, likely afraid of offending either Robin or Tiki.

“I believe I should be the one apologizing. I neglected to mention it sooner– the reason why Robin seeks Naga’s aide,” Tiki explained to her guardian. “The form she has now isn’t how she’s meant to be. I believe that Naga may know of a way to help her return to normal.”

“O-Oh,” was the only response that Say’ri could muster. Tiki couldn’t blame her; it was a lot for anyone to take in.

“So… is it alright if he comes with us to Mount Prism?” Robin asked after a long moment of silence.

“It’s perfectly alright with me,” Tiki stated. “And you, Say’ri?”

“If it is alright with you, Lady Tiki, then I can hardly object. Of course, ‘twould be wrong to leave the boy out here alone, regardless of his origins.”

“Thank you both!” Morgan stated gratefully. “I promise I won’t slow you guys down, or get in the way, or anything like that! I could even help get a fire going, if you wanna cook those f-fish,” he offered, showing them the Elfire tome in his hands.

Almost immediately after he said the word ‘fish,’ Morgan’s stomach growled loudly. Well, loud enough that he couldn’t hide it. The way he blushed reminded Tiki of Robin as well.

“I think there is enough here to share between the three of us,” Say’ri noted with the faintest smile.

“How about we eat, and then afterward we continue on to Mount Prism?” Tiki suggested.

“Are you sure you don’t want to rest some more?” Robin checked with her.

Tiki smiled an almost cheeky grin. “I wouldn’t mind being carried again, if I get tired.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys have a Happy New Year! Stay safe and have fun :p  
> Thanks to those of you who've stayed around since I first started posting, and to those of you who've recently started following me! I certainly couldn't have made it this far without all of you guys. :'3
> 
>  **Edit: (1/11/18)**  
>  Okay, so, unfortunately, bad news. I just got back to college and started my spring semester on Monday the 8th, and between that and other life things, I haven't been able to work on this story hardly at all since I last updated. Things have been pretty hectic, and I don't really know when my schedule's gonna ease up.  
> So, because of that, I'm gonna go on hiatus for a while. That's not to say I won't be working on this story, but I will be working at a much slower pace than normal, and I'd like to have enough content backlogged in order to return to a weekly-update schedule, if I can. My plan is, no matter what, to get the next chapter out before February. I'll let you guys know how things are going and what I plan to do after that.  
> Wish me luck x'D


	24. Divine Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which two groups are each in for a surprise._   
> 

“What a mess…” Lissa murmured dejectedly.

Chrom could hardly blame his sister for her downhearted mood.

As the Shepherds crested the hill leading up to the palace, the damage was clear, even at a distance. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, giving the state of all the other buildings in the area. There was hardly any part of the capital that didn’t show battle scars from Gangrel’s attack several days ago, and considering how things looked now, Chrom didn’t even want to  _think_ about how terrible the initial assault was. Of course… he couldn’t stop the images of burning homes and screaming innocents from intruding his mind.

Surprisingly though, according to the reports they’d received thus far, there had actually been very few _civilian_ casualties. Why that was the case, no one could seem to agree, but Chrom wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He’d count his blessings wherever he could find them.

And right now, he was just grateful that the castle was still standing.

Even if there were huge openings of crumbled stonework scattered about the outer walls, likely from ballista and other siege weapons. If they wanted to, the Shepherds didn’t even have to go in through the main gate.

Even if the courtyard and most its beautiful plant life had been trampled through. Chrom had to force himself to ignore the huge, person-shaped indent that stretched across one section of the grounds. He had a v _ery_ good idea about what had caused something so out-of-the-ordinary, but that was the last thing he wanted to think about right now.

Even if the interior didn’t fare much better, with charred rubble littering the hallways and furniture toppled over. Looters had clearly had a field day with the place, taking almost anything that wasn’t nailed down or locked away in the royal vaults.

That wasn’t the end of the world, though. Fancy ornaments, decorum, things like that… they could all be replaced. The rooms could be cleaned. The walls could be repaired. The flowers could be replanted.

As sad as everything looked now, it could’ve been so much worse.

 

* * *

 

“Looks like they hardly touched the garrison,”  Sully reported. She, along with Sumia and Cordelia, had split off earlier to go check into that, and now they were rejoining the group. “Bastards probably got one look at all the books and paperwork and decided it wasn’t worth the effort.”

Her attempt at making light of the situation was appreciated.

“The barracks were relatively untouched as well,” Cordelia added. “We’ve already informed Libra and Maribelle, and along with a few of the others, they’ve set up a place for Emmeryn to rest.”

“Alright. That’s good,” Chrom stated. He paused for a moment before continuing, “Tell everyone they can get situated for the evening, then.”

The three women went to join the rest of the Shepherds after that. This left the two royal siblings mostly on their own, some distance away from the main group.

“Thank the gods! We’ll actually have some real beds to sleep in tonight,” Lissa remarked, her mood noticeably brightening. “Try not to miss camping too much now, alright, Chrom?” She teased.

“Actually, Lissa, about that…” the blue-haired lord replied hesitantly, keeping his volume somewhat low. He knew for a fact that she wasn’t going to be happy with what he had to say next. “… Lucina and I are going to head out for Mount Prism tomorrow.”

“You’re… you’re joking, right? _Please_ tell me you’re joking,” the young blonde practically begged. She didn’t even give him time to respond. “Chrom, we _just_ got back! You– you’re not planning on going alone, are you? Just you and Lucina?”

Instead of answering, he scratched the back of his head and looked away from his little sister, avoiding her eyes.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” she sighed before punching him in the shoulder. “You big idiot! Do you really think that the others will let you do that? That _I’ll_ let you do that?”

“Lissa, we can’t– I have to go, I _have to_ do this. And the others, they… if we want to do this quickly, cover more ground in less time, we can’t bring a huge group,” Chrom tried to explain himself. “Besides, there’s so much work to be done here. Ylisstol needs all the help it can get right now.”

“Well, you’re definitely not allowed to leave without me. And you know Frederick’s not going to let you leave without him either.”

A faint smile tugged at Chrom’s lips. “I doubt any of the others will–”

“Lissa, darling, there you are!” Maribelle’s voice interrupted him. The young noblewoman came rushing over to them; the look on her face only added to the urgency in her tone. “Oh, good, Lord Chrom, you’re here as well.”

“Maribelle, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Lissa asked her friend.

“She’s waking up,” Maribelle panted, speaking quickly. “Lady Emmeryn is waking up."

And just like that, Chrom and Lissa’s argument was forgotten.

For the moment, at least.

In a matter of moments, both siblings were racing over to the garrison with Maribelle leading the way. Chrom’s vision was practically tunneling as his focus was drawn solely to following behind her.

By the time the three of them got to the room where Emmeryn was staying, the blue-haired lord almost collided head-on with someone pacing nervously in the hall just outside the door.

Phila was nearly knocked off of her feet.

“M-Milord! My apologies, I-I didn’t see you there,” the captain stammered, attempting to properly compose herself.

“It’s alright, Phila. I wasn’t watching where I was going either,” Chrom assured her. “I take it you heard the news as well, then?”

The azure-haired woman nodded. “Y-Yes. Although, I must admit that I’ve hardly strayed from milady’s side since we left Plegia.”

“Well, don’t push yourself too hard,” Lissa piped up. Her tone was caring and kind, not condescending in any way. “You’ve still got your own wounds to worry about.”

“O-Of course,” Phila agreed a bit sheepishly, absentmindedly rubbing her bandaged shoulder.

“Would you like to come in with us?” Chrom offered. “I know Emm would love to see you just as much as she’d love to see Lissa and I.”

“I… I would be honored, milord,” she stated gratefully.

“Be sure to keep your voices down. Lady Emmeryn has to wake up on her own time,” Maribelle instructed as she opened the door, holding it while the others filed into the room.

It wasn’t very big, but it wasn’t too terribly small either; they probably wouldn’t have been able to fit more than one or two extra people comfortably. Emmeryn was laying in the bed, which was positioned against the wall opposite the door. Her eyes were still closed, but she stirred at the sounds of movement. Meanwhile, Libra stood off to the side, in front of a shelf, as he organized the various medical supplies he’d brought into the room. He turned to them all as they entered.

“Hello, milord. I’m glad Lady Maribelle was able to find you in time,” the blond greeted softly.  

“As am I,” Chrom replied. “How’s she doing?”

“Doing well, I would say. Her breathing and pulse have returned to normal, and even that little bit of movement is a very good sign,” Libra reported. “She should–”

“Mmm…” A faint and wordless murmur cut the monk off.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to Emmeryn, and Lissa was at her bedside in the blink of an eye. Chrom was right behind her, while the others hung back, letting the three siblings have their space. Despite Chrom’s invitation, Phila felt like she was intruding on a private moment, as if this wasn’t where she belonged right now.

But they all held their breath as Emmeryn’s eyelids slowly fluttered open. Her vision seemed hazy and unfocused at first, but got clearer and clearer as the seconds dragged on.

Eventually, her green eyes were drawn to her two younger siblings hovering close to her.

“He… H-Hello…?” the exalt stammered.

Right away, Chrom could tell that something was off; from the confusion in her eyes to the way her voice came out slow and somewhat broken. Lissa, however, was beside herself. She fell to her knees beside the bed, clasping one of Emmeryn’s hands with both of her own. Tears began to splash lightly down on the blanket.

“Emm! Oh, Emm…” She murmured. The quiet sobs in her voice were clear as day. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Emmeryn’s confusion only seemed to grow, now coupled with surprise. “I-I… W-Who…?”

It was only then that Lissa picked up on what Chrom had already noticed, and the young blonde’s eyes widened in shock. She pulled her hands away to cover her mouth as she shook her head in disbelief.

“Sister, what's wrong? Don’t you recognize us? It’s Chrom and Lissa,” the blue-haired lord insisted. He tried desperately to stop his hands from shaking. He failed.

“Sis… ter…?” Emmeryn echoed.

Chrom refused to believe it, but she didn’t remember them.

 

* * *

 

 _“It shouldn’t be much farther now!”_ Tiki informed the others, speaking loud enough to be heard.

Much like with their earlier flight, Say’ri was riding on the white manakete’s back, and Robin flew a few yards behind them. However, unlike last time, Robin now carried Morgan in her hands. Even though there was plenty of room for him to sit with Say’ri, Robin thought it would be best to lighten Tiki’s load as much as possible. She would’ve offered to carry Say’ri as well, but it seemed fairly obvious that the swordswoman was far more comfortable being with her charge than with Robin. The opposite was true of Morgan, who much rather preferred being with his mother.

And right now, the blue-haired boy was having the time of his life.

This was a breathtaking experience, the likes of which he’d never had before; the sight of ground so far below, and the feeling of the wind rushing by, as well as the feeling of two hands big enough to easily support his weight, and then some. If Morgan had to guess, he was pretty sure that she could probably hold about a dozen or so people if she really wanted to. Maybe more.

Just as Tiki said, it wasn’t long before the four of them closed in on the mountain, its vibrant green peaks towering high above the rest of the land. Near its summit, there sat a vast, rolling field filled with wildflowers and small patches of forest scattered about. Above that, a large waterfall flowed into a twisting river that traveled all the way down to the base.

Needless to say, it was absolutely gorgeous. Probably only second to the Mila Tree, in fact. It was hard not to see the Divine Dragons as heavenly beings when the areas they resided in were so… magnificent.

Apparently Naga’s altar was located in a large cave behind the waterfall, expertly sculpted several millennia ago by some of her worshipers. The cavern would be too small for Robin to enter, but Tiki had assured her that she would be able to bring Naga out to her.

The glistening white manakete hovered in the air now, waiting patiently to allow Robin to land first.

As the giantess got closer and closer, a strange sensation arose in the pit of her stomach. Something akin to dread or… maybe unease? She couldn’t tell for sure, but it was so strange. The scenery was so serene and beautiful, and Robin admired every last detail of it, but a part of her was unsettled by it as well.

Something was off.

Or maybe she was just nervous. After all, she was about to meet an individual powerful enough to be worshiped as a goddess. And not only that, but an individual who might have the answers she was hoping for. 

 _Yeah, that’s it… Has to be my nerves getting the better of m–_ Robin’s thoughts were interrupted as she caught sight of a faint bit of movement from her peripheral vision.

Something was flying towards her, something humanoid in shape and size.

Right when it got close enough for Robin to try and make out what it might be, there was a brilliant sunburst of light that left her momentarily stunned and blinded. For Morgan, that blinding light was almost immediately replaced by darkness as Robin’s hands closed protectively around him. Her grasp was firm and secure, but not tight enough to hurt him as she braced her clasped hands close to her chest.

“Mother, wha–?!” His voice shouted up to her, only to be cut off when something huge slammed into Robin’s form.

‘Huge’ as in almost the same size as his mother.

The jolting blow threw him completely off-balance, sprawled against a wall of massive fingers. The feeling and motion of it was almost like tumbling down a hill.

The giantess didn’t have time to right herself as wickedly sharp claws tore through fabric and skin with ease. White scales filled her vision, almost identical to Tiki’s, but these ones were brighter and more vibrant; they seemed to glow like sunlight. Everything was happening so fast, she couldn’t see much else.

Robin and her attacker both crashed to the ground, with Robin taking the brunt of the impact. But in that moment, all she cared about was keeping Morgan safe. The thought of her own well-being was forgotten as she felt his small form jostling around helplessly in her grasp. There was no way to get him to safety, not with whatever this was barreling down on her.

In her struggle to shove the creature away, one of her horns accidentally made contact with scaly hide. It didn’t pierce too deep, but a roar of pain and frustration followed, ringing close to her pointed ears. Another set of claws raked against her skin, slicing at her cheek this time. She reared back as far as she could, which wasn't very far at all, before her head pressed against dirt.

 _“YOU DARE BRING YOUR VILE PRESENCE INTO MY SANCTUM, MY HOME?!”_ A powerful voice bellowed, filled with the same ferocity as that roar. _“I WILL NOT SIT IDLY BY AND LET YOU HAVE YOUR WAY, FELL DRA–”_

 _“Mother, STOP!”_ Tiki shrieked, screaming out with every fiber of her being as she flew in closer to the two colossal combatants. _“She is not our enemy!"_

Much to Robin’s surprise, the flurry of claws against her ceased, and the pressure that kept her pinned down to the ground eased up slightly.

As things settled so abruptly, Robin was now able to fully see and take in just what had attacked her; a golden white dragon whose size rivaled her own, so similar to the true forms of Tiki and Nowi that she knew quite well. Green eyes glistened like the most precious of gemstones, and the leafy frills that formed the dragon’s crest were comparatively _much_ longer.

There wasn’t a single doubt in Robin’s mind.

 _This_ had to be Naga.

 

* * *

 

Too shocked by their jarring first encounter, Robin couldn’t even act surprised by the news that Tiki was actually Naga’s daughter; her own flesh and blood.

Although it did make sense now, why Tiki had said that the people of Valm considered her to be royalty. And Tiki’s insistence on escorting Robin personally also made a lot of sense. A warning would have been nice, but perhaps even Tiki couldn’t have known just how violently her mother would react.

“Morgan, are you alright?” Robin asked, opening her hands up so that she could see him. She sat up after the Divine Dragon took a few steps back, giving her room to do so.

“I-I’m fine!” Her son called up. “A bit shaken, but— Mother! You’re bleeding!”

He was likely only referring to the three claw marks that were now sliced into her cheek, just below her left eye. She could feel the streaks of blood trickling down to her chin and dripping off.

Those were hardly the only injures she’d sustained, though. The sleeves of her cloak and the arms underneath them were pretty shredded in some places as well. It would be damn-near impossible to patch up the fabric, but that was the least of Robin’s worries.

“It’s okay, I’m okay,” she assured him quickly. The wounds stung pretty badly, but she could suck it up, and she didn't want Morgan to worry about her.

In another bright flash of light, Tiki and Naga were no longer their dragon selves. Obviously Robin, Morgan, and especially Say’ri were used to _Tiki’s_ human form, but Naga’s… Naga’s was incredible.

Standing at about seven feet tall, with a figure that was lean and well-muscled, the woman had long and wild green hair, so vibrant that it almost seemed to glow; the tips of it faded into a sort of ethereal appearance, almost like verdant fire. She wore a flowing red and white gown, as well as several golden bands around her arms that matched the circlet placed around her forehead.

Not only that, but she was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful person any of them had ever seen. Though not in an attractive way; it was more like the sort of breathtaking allure of nature, like the Mila Tree or Mount Prism.

“What is the meaning of this, Tiki?” Naga questioned. Her voice was a combination of silky smooth and stern, quite different from the fierce way it’d been just a few minutes ago.

The others let Tiki do the talking, and Robin remained completely still aside from setting Morgan down beside their two travelling companions. It seemed clear that Naga held some sort of dislike– if not outright hatred– for her, but there was no trace of fear in those fiery green eyes; more like contempt or disgust.

Despite her mother’s authoritative demeanor, Tiki stood her ground. It was rather impressive considering the fact that Naga was at least two feet taller than the shorter manakete. Especially when even Robin was intimidated by such a regal, elegant woman. Not to mention Say’ri hadn’t said a single word this entire time.

Tiki explained everything, starting with how she met Robin, and ending with their journey to Mount Prism. The farther into the story she went, the more Naga’s harshness toward the white-haired giantess seemed to lessen.

“She needs your help, Mother,” Tiki insisted. “Surely you can see as I do; Robin is a kind soul, caught in a series of unfortunate circumstances.”

Instead of directly replying to her daughter, Naga turned her gaze up to Robin. “Do you know the significance of that mark upon your hand?” She asked, pointing to it.

Taken somewhat by surprise, Robin hesitated with her answer. “N-No, I… I have no idea what it means. I-I know it must have significance, but…” Her voice trailed off.

“ _That_ is the Mark of the Fell Dragon Grima, a being worshiped by some as a god of destruction. But much like myself, he is no true god,” Naga explained. “He was sealed away one thousand years ago by the first Exalt of Ylisse, using my blessing. The royal family shares a Brand similar to yours, showing that they all possess my blessing.”

 _The royal family of Ylisse._ Robin let that thought sink in over and over again in her mind.

“However, your Brand marks you a vessel of Grima, a key component to his revival. He cannot live without a mortal host,” Naga continued. “His host cannot be just anyone; they must share his blood, and even among those few, there are other requirements that must be met. Your Mark is far more rare than the Brand of the Exalt.”

“Is that… Is that why I’m like this then?” Even as she asked that question, Robin was sure that she already knew the answer. She stopped herself from looking over at Morgan; he had the same Mark as her, after all, but he was perfectly normal.

“No, not entirely. I… I have never seen anything quite like this before,” the Divine Dragon admitted. “Grima and I have a… connection, if you will; I know that he has not yet been revived, but I can sense that much of his power resides within you. When you first arrived here and I sensed that power, I was confused. I mistook you for him, and acted accordingly. I must apologize for that.”

“Y-You don’t have to apologize,” Robin insisted. Although a part of her was still trying to process everything that Naga had just said. It was a lot to take in. Especially the part where she’d never seen anything like this before. Robin didn't want to lose hope so soon, but she found it hard not to.

“Do you know how this could have happened?” Tiki piped up, asking her mother.

Naga shook her head. “I am not certain. How she came to possess such a huge portion of Grima’s power is as much a mystery to me as it is to you, however… there are a few things that I am sure of. Grima is a being that revels in death and destruction. He finds joy in the suffering of others, feeds off of their negative emotions,” she turned to look at Robin again. “Based on what Tiki has told me, it seems that your transformations are spurred by your own negative emotions, with the stronger ones leading to more drastic changes. His power, however it came to reside within you, is corrupting your body, perhaps even your soul. This goes beyond the aspects of a normal vessel.”

Naga paused and took a moment, as if she was considering her next words carefully, before she spoke again.

“If nothing is done… I fear that, in a sense, you will _become_ Grima.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More like "In which there's finally a dragon fight but it's not the one anybody was expecting."  
> Figured I had to come back with a bang after making you guys wait for so long :P 
> 
> College still kinda sucks, and my schedule's still pretty hectic, so sadly, I won't be able to go back to weekly updates like I'd hoped. For now, though, until things ease up, I will at least be able to update monthly. So you can expect another chapter by the end of February at the latest. Possibly even sooner, but for now let's just shoot for that x'D
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this newest installment! Feel free to leave a comment if you did, even if it's just to scream random keysmashing at me. ~~I'm desperate for the love and attention~~ ;w;
> 
> Also also I posted a little one-shot for Fire Emblem Fates a couple weeks ago. Just in case any of you didn't know that that happened and might maybe be interested in checking it out. :'3


	25. What are the Odds?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which a solution is found._  
> 

_Become Grima._ The embodiment of despair and ruin.

Robin’s stomach dropped. A wave of nausea and lightheadedness washed over her. She felt like she was going to pass out. Or going to be sick. Maybe both. Probably both. She’d known that things were bad when she’d lost control back in Plegia, but she hadn’t realized they were _that_ bad. All the times she thought of herself as a monster, and it turned out she was _literally_ becoming a monster.

“T-There _is_ something that can be done, though, right?” Morgan spoke up. The blue-haired boy’s question grounded Robin somewhat, drawing her back into the current moment.

And she certainly couldn’t ignore how nervous he sounded.

Morgan almost regretted speaking up, though, after Naga turned her attention to him. Having her look down at him with that piercing gaze was more than enough to make him feel like he was on the spot, like he was speaking to a whole crowd instead of just one person.

But the next words to come out of the Divine Dragon’s mouth weren’t harsh or condescending.

“There are… two possible solutions that could work, yes. The first is quite simple,” she began. “Much of my divine energy is stored within the lands of Mount Prism. They are, in essence, hallowed grounds.”

Her next words were directed more toward Robin, “While I cannot remove Grima’s influence entirely, if you were to remain here, I could prevent you from transforming further.”

“S-So… you can’t reverse this,” Robin gestured to herself, “But… you can stop it from getting worse?” She clarified.

“Yes, but I am afraid the effects would only last as long as you stay,” Naga answered. “In other words, you would have to stay here for the rest of your life.”

 _And who knows how long that might be…?_ Robin mused, almost bitterly.

“W-What’s the second option?” Morgan piped up again, almost equally as nervous as the first time.

“The second is a sort of… ritual. However, there are several key components that would be needed,” Naga explained. “Two artifacts forged from my own fangs, and an individual who is both worthy and capable of wielding them.”

“Mother, you’re not referring to the Awakening, are you?” Tiki questioned.

“Something akin to it, yes,” the older dragon stated. “You will need to find the divine blade, Falchion, and the Shield of Seals. Although I believe it goes by a new name now; the Fire Emblem.”

Robin’s eyes widened.

“Y-You mean the national treasures of Ylisse?”

Naga seemed to contemplate the statement before responding. “Yes, that is where they should reside now. A member of the royal family would be the exact kind of individual you would need to perform this ritual.”

Whether it was lucky or not, Robin couldn’t decide, but somehow… it all made sense. Of course Chrom would be the person who could help her. Maybe even the _only_ person.

But… was she ready to see him again?

After everything she’d done, could she really bring herself to ask for his aid?

 

* * *

 

Not long after that, Naga returned to her altar, leaving the others to plan their next course of action.

The four of them sat close to the river as Robin went about washing her wounds. Her cloak was folded up next to her as she splashed water on her bare arms, wincing as they stung from the contact.

“Mother… are you sure you’re going to be alright?” Morgan checked. “Those look really painful.”

“I’ll be fine, Morgan. They look a lot worse than they feel,” she reassured him. The scratches on her arms weren’t as deep as the ones on her cheek, and thankfully the bleeding had stopped rather quickly.

“Robin, if I am not mistaken, it sounded as though you knew where we could find the artifacts Lady Naga mentioned, yes?” Say’ri confirmed.

It was her first time speaking since the four of them had arrived at Mount Prism.

“I… yes. I-I know the man who has both of them in his possession, actually. We’re– er… we _were_ friends,” Robin admitted. “Prince Chrom of Ylisse. Although, he… I suppose it might be Exalt Chrom now…”

Morgan wanted to ask what his mother meant by ‘ _were_ friends,’ but he could see that this particular subject was a touchy one for her. And it was fairly obvious to him that something had happened between the two of them. Something that might have put a strain on whatever relationship they had.

And for some reason, the name ‘Chrom’ stuck out to him. He recognized it from… somewhere. He couldn’t remember where, but the name was important. He _knew_ it was important. It was right on the tip of his tongue–

“And do you know where we might be able to find him?” Tiki chimed in.

“I… I’m not entirely sure, but my best guess would be in Ylisstol,” Robin answered. She doubted he was still in Plegia by now, and even if he _wasn’t_ in Ylisstol, there was no better place to start looking. None that she could think of, anyway.

”Hmm,” Tiki hummed thoughtfully. “Alright. I think I’ll need a few days to rest after all of… this, but we can travel to Ylisstol after that. It’s to the west of here, correct?”

“It is, yes, but… maybe it would be best if I stayed here,” The white-haired woman noted sheepishly. “I’d rather be safe than sorry. And, um, well, I wouldn’t want to cause a panic in the city.”

“That is a fair point,” Say’ri noted.

Robin couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty, though. “I’m sorry, I– you both came all this way to help me, and now here I am putting all of this on you to do without me.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize, Robin. After all, I was the one who suggested you come to Mount Prism in the first place. I’d hate to get your hopes up for nothing.” Tiki assured her. “And besides, I would love to see Ylisstol for myself,” she added with a playful, lighthearted smirk. “What about you, Say’ri?”

“I cannot complain. I insisted on joining the two of you, and I fully intend to see this journey through,” the Chon’sin swordswoman stated.

“Are you sure? I… I’d hate to keep you away from your family any longer than you’ve already been gone.” Robin still couldn’t push down the bit of guilt that was nagging at her.

“As I said before, they will understand,” Say’ri answered solemnly. “If Lady Naga spoke true– and I do not doubt her for a moment– then giving you my aid would be beneficial to all of us. The Fell Dragon is not a being to be taken lightly. His resurrection would be… disastrous, at best.”

And world-ending at worst.

After Say’ri finished speaking, Robin realized that this wasn’t just her problem anymore. In fact, it never really had been _just_ her problem.

This was about more than getting her back to normal.

This about preventing the return of a horrible, destructive monster.

 

* * *

 

The next three days went by quickly, all things considered.

In that short amount of time, Robin and the others had slipped into a rather pleasant little routine. Something simple, but nice.

Tiki somehow managed to sleep for almost the entire time; a feat that Robin and Morgan found pretty impressive, even though Say’ri said that it was fairly common behavior for the green-haired manakete.

Although, to be fair, even Say’ri and Morgan spent a good amount of time sleeping as well. After all, much like Tiki, they also had to conserve energy and prepare for the journey to Ylisstol.

In fact, it seemed that Robin was the only one who couldn’t find a good night’s rest in those past couple of nights. Too many thoughts plagued her mind; predictions and fears of everything that might come to pass. And of everything that might go wrong.

What if the others didn’t make it to the capital? What if they got lost or attacked along the way, and Robin was just here at Mount Prism, oblivious? What if they did make it to Ylisstol, but couldn’t obtain an audience with Chrom? What if he wasn’t even there?

And, most importantly… what if he refused to help?

Those were the questions that kept Robin on edge all the way up until the morning came when Tiki decided that she had recovered enough to travel once more. The three of them would be heading out in a matter of a few short hours, after Say’ri and Morgan gathered a bit of food for breakfast, as well as for the road.

The wooded areas on and around the mountain were teeming with all sorts of plant life, from medicinal herbs to fruit-bearing trees and berry bushes.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be so terrible if Robin and Morgan had to live here. Of course, her son wouldn’t be forced to stay, but she had a feeling that the blue-haired boy wouldn't want to leave her side if Mount Prism was to be her new home.

“So, how long should I wait before I come looking for you guys?” Robin wondered. Her tone made it seem like she was kidding, and she was.

… For the most part.

“I would say you can start to worry if we aren’t back within a week, but I can’t imagine it will take more than a few days,” Tiki noted with a faint grin.

“You say that like I won’t be worrying the entire time you’re gone,” the white-haired giantess countered lightheartedly.

Tiki laughed a little at that. “Well, I won't tell you not to. I’m sure I would be the same way if I was in your boots.”

Robin opened her mouth to reply, but promptly closed it again. Before she could say anything more, a bit of movement from the corner of her eye interrupted her.

She looked over, and for moment, that head of deep blue hair made Robin think that Morgan and Say’ri had finally returned, but that wasn’t the case. No, in actuality, as the form came into focus, it was someone far more surprising.

 _He_ was here.

Chrom had come to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, first thing's first, sorry this chapter is kind of shorter than the last few, but I felt like this was a good place to end it, and I wanted to get it out before the end of the month rolled around, so here we are!
> 
> Probably still going to be on a monthly updating schedule, but I have Spring Break coming up very, very soon, so hopefully I'll be able to crank out more writing without the struggles of school bogging me down. :'D
> 
> Y'all better look forward to a sappy reunion scene~ :P


	26. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which a family is reunited._  
> 

For the longest time, Chrom could only just stare at the scene that was laid out before him. He could hardly believe his eyes. If Lucina hadn’t been right there beside him, sharing a look of equal surprise, he might have thought he was dreaming. He really hoped he wasn’t.

She was here.

Robin was _right here_ , at Mount Prism.

How long had she been here? Was this where she’d been the entire time? Had she known that he would be coming? Who was that manakete sitting with her?

About a dozen more questions raced through his mind the longer Chrom maintained eye contact with Robin, but most of them didn’t matter nearly as much as finding out that she was safe and unharmed.

Well, for the most part. He couldn’t ignore the scabbed-over cuts on her cheek and arms.

But she looked just as surprised to see him as he was to see her.

“C…Chrom? Marth?” Robin stammered, finally breaking the silence.

'Marth,' not Lucina.

Right.

Robin still didn’t know the truth about the blue-haired swordswoman. Still didn’t know that she was _their_ daughter, who had traveled back in time to save the world.

Gods, they had so much to talk about.

But, before any of that…

Chrom ran forward, nearly stumbling over himself in the process. He wasn’t sure if Lucina called out to him or not, but even if she had, he probably wouldn’t have stopped.

He closed the distance between them as fast as he could, half convinced that Robin might vanish if he was just a fraction of a second too slow. And he was dead-set on not letting that happen again.

Meanwhile, Robin was too stunned to do anything except stay right where she was; she definitely wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But then she realized that Chrom wasn’t slowing down as he drew closer and closer.

“C-Chrom, what are y–?”

Much to her surprise, the Ylissean lord barreled right into her leg at almost full speed. She just barely heard his quiet ‘oomph!’ upon impact. It wasn’t nearly as soft as he would’ve thought, but he wasn’t terribly winded either. And instead of falling over or backing up, like Robin might have expected, Chrom clung tightly to a small section of her pant leg. The closest thing to a hug he could manage.

Robin was left speechless.

How on earth was she supposed to respond to that?

Chrom, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted to say.

“You’re not allowed to leave like that _ever_ again,” he called up to her.

The blue-haired prince stayed where he was for another good minute or two. He probably would’ve stayed like that longer if Robin hadn’t finally spoken up.

“Chrom, what… what are you doing here?” She wondered incredulously. Her hands hovered on either side of him, ready to catch the Ylissean prince if he fell backward. Or pull him off, if it came to that. Before Chrom could answer her first question, she immediately interrupted him with several more. “Where are the others? A-Are they back at the capital? Did they come with you?”

“Oh, they–” Chrom paused, realizing he wasn’t exactly in the best position to explain himself. In fact, he only just realized how… awkward this might be. Especially for Robin.

A rosy blush tinted his cheeks as he let go, taking a few steps back. Robin moved her hands out of the way so that he could do so.

And while all of that was happening, Lucina hesitantly approached, keeping a good distance between her mother and father.

Even if her mother’s eyes weren’t glowing that hellish red, the future princess couldn’t stop the uneasy feeling that bubbled up inside of her as she gazed upon those wicked horns, or the sight of those six black wings folded against Robin’s back.

She wanted to be as happy as Chrom was. She really did. And while a part of her _was_ happy to see Robin, another part just couldn’t ignore all that she’d learned since arriving in the past.

“Err, a few of the others came with us, yes,” Chrom explained. “They’re, ah, setting up camp a bit further down the mountain. Lissa, Frederick, Cordelia, Sumia, Phila and… oh Gods, Robin, you’re never going to believe this, but… Emmeryn is with us, too. She survived.”

Robin’s breath hitched for a moment as she processed what her blue-haired friend had just told her. “Emmeryn’s… Emmeryn’s alive?”

Chrom nodded.

“How… How is that possible?” She questioned.

“I have no idea, I just– it was a miracle. That’s the only explanation I can think of. That anyone can think of, really,” he told her. “She was unconscious for the first few days after… after the battle at Plegia Castle. But she’s been recovering quite quickly, all things considered. She–”

“Mother?” A boy’s voice called over. “Who are those people?”

Chrom turned around to see two people coming into the clearing from the woods. Both were carrying bundles of different fruits and herbs with them, but one was a woman with long black hair, and… the other was the one who’d spoken; a young boy with blue hair, identical in hue to Chrom’s and Lucina’s.

That wasn’t even the most surprising feature the boy had though. He wore a cloak that was almost identical to Robin’s, save for its size.

“Oh, Morgan! You’re not going to believe this,” The white-haired giantess began. Even Chrom could hear the enthusiasm in her tone, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

But he was far too focused on what the boy, this… Morgan had said. Specifically, how he had called Robin ‘Mother.’

Chrom looked over his shoulder at Lucina, hoping that his daughter would be able to provide some answers, but she wasn’t standing where she had been just a moment ago.

Instead, Lucina was running toward Morgan at a full-on sprint, almost identical to the way Chrom had run to Robin just a few minutes ago. She practically tackled the younger boy, almost knocking him off his feet as she embraced him in a tight hug.

Which left _both_ Chrom and Robin speechless.

 

* * *

 

“Oh Gods, Morgan, is that really you?” Lucina murmured, trying to force back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She kept her voice low, practically whispering the question in his ear.

“I… Wha– Who…?” Morgan stammered, and his confusion was clear as day. He pulled out of the hug, placing his hands on Lucina’s shoulders as he looked her up and down.

For a moment, Lucina was just as confused as he was, and then a realization seemed to dawn on her little brother when his eyes locked onto hers.

“Lu… Luci?” He questioned. “I… ugh, my head…” He took a step back, letting go of Lucina so that he could rest one hand over his forehead.

“I-I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Lucina checked, suddenly embarrassed by her own rash actions.

“N-No! You’re fine, I just… oof… really bad headache all of a sudden,” Morgan reassured her. Although, ‘bad headache’ might have been putting it a bit too mildly.

As soon as Morgan looked into Lucina’s eyes– _his sister’s_ eyes – a flood of memories came rushing back to him all at once. It felt more like his head was going to burst from too much pressure.

He… He had forgotten her.

He’d forgotten his own sister.

How–?

“How… how do you two know each other?” His mother piped up, interrupting his thoughts. And judging from the looks on everyone else’s faces, Robin wasn’t the only one who wanted to know the answer to that question.

“I believe that’s… quite a long story,” Lucina started. “I’ve already told… Chrom of this, but… my real name is Lucina. And I’m your daughter.”

Much like when Morgan had told her that he was her son, Robin looked completely floored by this news. Even more so, actually.

“There’s… but… _How_ _?”_ Robin stammered. “It was already hard for me to believe that Morgan was my son, but… you too? Why… Why didn’t you anything something sooner?” She rested her own hand on her forehead, as if she too was getting a headache. “ _Gods_ , how old am I?”

Lucina looked to Morgan after that. “You didn’t tell her?”

Again, Morgan was confused. “Tell her… what?”

“That we… we’re not…” She turned back to Robin. “Morgan and I… haven’t been born yet, in this time. We traveled back here, from the future.”

“We _what_ _?”_ Morgan practically gasped.

“Lucina, why didn’t you tell me you had a brother?” Chrom cut in, taking a step closer to the two blue-haired siblings. “That I… I have a son?”

“Wait, what?” Robin turned to Chrom now.

 _Gods, this is a mess…_ Lucina moaned internally. “Please, everyone, just… hold on. I’ll try and explain everything,” she insisted.

She took a deep breath before continuing, gathering her thoughts as quickly as she could.

And then she retold the exact same story she’d told her father, back when she’d revealed the truth to him. Only this time, there more to the story; something she left out during her first telling.

“Morgan is my younger brother, by a few years. He… he went missing not long after news of your death reached the capital, Father. He was still just a child, really. We… we all assumed the worst…” she concluded. She addressed her brother as she spoke again, “Morgan… what happened to you? Where were you all that time?”

“I… I don’t remember,” Morgan confessed. “I… I don’t really remember much of anything, actually. Except for you and Mother. A-and a little bit of Father, but not much. It’s… really, Mother’s the one I remember the most. The two of us were travelling somewhere together– I can’t remember where– but then I just… I woke up here. I-In the past, I guess?”

“Gods, this is… a lot to take in,” Robin murmured, more to herself than to any of the others. Her eyes drifted down to the brand on her right hand, and another question nagged at her the longer she stared at it. “… Lucina, do you… do you have this mark, as well?”

“Yes, I do. On my right shoulder. Morgan and I– both of our brands are opposite to each other,” Lucina answered.

“So, you really are… Chrom and I… we…” Robin let her voice trail off, unable to finish whatever she was trying to say.

“…My apologies for interrupting, but I… there’s something I must ask,” Tiki spoke up reluctantly. It was the first time she had spoken since Chrom and Lucina had arrived.

Meanwhile, Say’ri had yet to say a word. She’d conversed a bit with Morgan while the two of them were out collecting food, but… now more than ever, she felt like this wasn’t her place to speak.

“Robin, I may have misheard you earlier, but… you referred to Lucina as… as Marth, yes?” the manakete continued.

“O-Oh. I– yes, I did call her that. Marth was the, ah, the alias she used back when we first met. It was how she introduced herself to Chrom and I,” Robin explained. “Speaking of introduction, I-I’m sorry, I should really… Chrom, Lucina. This is Tiki and Say’ri; the two of them have been traveling with Morgan and I for several days now.”

“Tiki? As in the manakete who traveled alongside the Hero King of old?” Chrom wondered.

“The very same,” Tiki stated with a nod. “My apologies again, I… you and your daughter remind me very much of the Marth I knew. Seeing you both brings back fond memories.”

“T-There’s no need to apologize, milady!” Chrom insisted. “It’s– It is a great honor to meet you,” he went on, bowing his head respectfully.

Tiki smiled. “In that case, there’s also no need for such formalities. Just Tiki is fine.”

The Ylissean prince righted himself quickly. “O-Of course. I understand.”

“Tiki was the one who suggested I meet with Naga here at Mount Prism, to see if she knew of a way to, ah, help me get back to normal,” Robin clarified further.

“That’s– That’s why Lucina and I came!” Chrom almost laughed. He could hardly believe such a coincidence.

Robin couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re kidding.”

“No, it was Lucina’s idea. She–”  

“Lord Chrom!”

“Captain!”

Two overlapping shouts cut him off as a pair of pegasus knights came flying into the clearing. None other than Sumia and Cordelia. They both came to a halt, hovering in the air when they spotted Robin sitting there.

“Robin, y-you’re here!” Sumia exclaimed happily. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“Cordelia? Sumia? What’s wrong?” Chrom called up to them. Something _had_ to wrong if the two of them were here now. They certainly seemed like they had been in a rush, eager to find him and deliver some kind of news.

“It’s– It’s Lady Emmeryn, milord,” Cordelia reported. “She’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again my lovelies, and this time I come with some good news!
> 
> Thanks to a few recent events-- or rather, _lack_ of events-- I'll be able to start updating every other week! I decided to go with Saturday instead of my old Sunday updates, and it totally has nothing to do with the fact that tomorrow is April Fools. (Honestly it's more like I'm too eager to put it off any longer)
> 
> So you all can expect the next chapter to be here on April 14th!  
> Hope you enjoyed this latest installment, though! :3c


	27. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> _In which memory loss makes things... complicated._  
> 

“Wha– What do you mean, _she’s gone?”_ Chrom demanded. He tried not to sound angry with either Cordelia or Sumia, but it was difficult for him to tamp down his frustration.

The two pegasus knights came to land and dismount in the clearing soon after Cordelia had given Chrom the news.

“W-Well, we were all busy setting up camp, a-and…” Sumia stammered, trying to explain quickly, although she ended up stumbling over her words pretty badly.

“She must have wandered off at just the right time, when none of us were looking. Lissa and Frederick are out searching for her right now, together,” Cordelia finished for her, “and Captain Phila is waiting back at the camp in case Lady Emmeryn returns on her own.”

Phila, who had insisted on coming along even though she still hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries. The azure-haired woman couldn’t even ride her mount yet, but that was nowhere near enough to stop her.

“She couldn’t have gone far,” Robin spoke up, trying to ease Chrom’s nerves. “Tiki, you and Say’ri can help look from the air, right?”

“Yes, of course,” Tiki agreed. Say’ri nodded as well.

After getting a description of what Emmeryn looked like, Tiki transformed and took to the air with Say’ri riding on her back. Sumia and Cordelia climbed back onto their pegasi and followed closely behind the large white dragon.

“Morgan, will you help Father and I check back down the path we came?” Lucina asked her younger brother.

“Sure!” Morgan affirmed. “But, um, what about Mother?” He asked.

“I-I think it would be best if I waited here,” Robin stated a bit sheepishly. “Who knows, just in case Emm somehow gets this far.”

“Are you sure, Robin?” Chrom checked, certain that he could pick up on the faint reluctance in her tone.

The giantess nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Alright. We’ll be back soon,” the blue-haired lord promised. “… I hope…” he muttered under his breath as he, Lucina, and Morgan turned to make their way down the worn dirt path behind them.

Hopefully they would find Emmeryn quickly.

 

* * *

 

A familiar sense of dread bubbled up in Robin’s gut the longer she sat there waiting. Only ten minutes or so had passed since the others had left her alone, at most. It felt longer than that, though.

Of course, it didn’t help that Robin was, once again, left with nothing but her own thoughts to occupy her during this time. And the more she thought about it, the more one question kept repeating itself over and over in her mind.

Why had Emmeryn just… wandered off?

It didn’t make any sense.

What reason would the exalt have for causing her siblings and allies such worry? Robin couldn’t think of any. It frustrated her almost as much as waiting did.

She was about to get up and start pacing, but…

Then she saw something.

At the end of the clearing several yards away, on the side opposite to the path Chrom and the others had taken, right where the open field met with the treeline, Robin spotted someone.

At her distance, she couldn’t tell who it was, but whoever they were, it appeared as though they were all on their own.

From what Robin had gathered over the past few days, both from Tiki and her own observations, Mount Prism didn’t get many visitors. Hardly any at all, in fact. So it wasn’t too much of a stretch for her to assume that the person standing over there was the exact person everyone was looking for.

She never thought Emmeryn would _actually_ wander this far, though.

Slowly, Robin got to her feet, just to be safe. Then, with equal slowness, she took careful steps toward them. She wasn’t exactly hoping to be sneaky, but… it never hurt to be cautious. If it wasn’t Emm, the last thing Robin wanted to do was scare the living daylights out of some hapless stranger.

But as she drew closer, it became more apparent that this definitely _wasn't_ just some hapless stranger.

“…Emmeryn?” Robin called over. She could hardly contain the excitement in her tone. Hearing that the exalt was alive had already made her so happy, but to actually see Emm in person sent her over the moon. “Gods, I’m so glad you’re alright, I–” She stopped short when she noticed the terrified look in Emmeryn’s eyes.

_Terrified._

Absolutely, downright terrified.

The fearful expression she wore was akin to that of a deer staring down a wolf.

Robin halted her approach immediately after making that observation.

“Emm, what… what’s wrong? I-I know I look a little different but I– it’s still me,” the albino woman faltered, feeling more and more self-conscious the longer Emm just gaped at her. She held up her hands in the universal ‘I’m unarmed’ gesture and took a single step forward.

That single step was all it took.

Any sort of frozen state that Emmeryn was in ended instantly. The blonde royal started to back away quickly, almost tripping over herself in the process.

_Shit._ “Emm, wait, don’t–”

She was running now.

_Shit, shit, shit._

Before Robin could stop herself, she quickly lunged forward. Her wings instinctually unfurled, but she forced them back down, forced them not to beat at the air. It slowed her down somewhat, but given the greater distance she could cover, it hardly mattered.

As her knees hit the ground, Robin blocked Emmeryn’s path with both hands, effectively corralling the smaller woman.

Emmeryn tried to skid to a stop before she made contact, and she did manage to do so, but not without losing her footing and falling backwards. Robin winced at the response she’d caused, but at least Emmeryn appeared to be unharmed.

The exalt scooted away from the gigantic hands that had trapped her. Robin hated to phrase it that way, but how else could she, really? She _was_ trapping Emmeryn there. And she also hated the way that Emmeryn turned to look up at her, green eyes still wide and fearful.

Feeling guilty, Robin slowly pulled her hands back to give Emmeryn more space, but the second there was an opening, Emm scrambled back up to her feet and made a run for it.

The second time around, as Robin tried to bar her escape once more, Emmeryn collided right into that wall of massive fingers. Robin thought she would back up again, but instead, much to the white-haired woman’s surprise, Emmeryn started trying to climb _over_ her, desperate to escape.

Everything was happening so fast, and with rising panic, Robin couldn’t think of anything better to do than to scoop Emmeryn right up off of the ground.

The pitiful yelping sound that the action elicited nearly tore Robin’s heart in two, but she knew that she couldn’t stop what she was doing. She couldn’t let Emmeryn run off alone, deeper into the wilderness.

She kept her hands carefully but securely cupped around the exalt’s form, worried that Emm might even resort to jumping out of her grasp.

Thankfully, that wasn’t a concern that Robin had to focus on for long, but the reason for that made her anything but thankful.

Emmeryn was now curled up into a tight ball with her arms wrapped protectively over her head, and Robin could feel every little tremble that shook the smaller woman’s body.

“E-Emm, please, don’t… I’m not going to– I won’t hurt you, I promise,” Robin soothed, keeping her voice soft and gentle. She couldn’t hide how shaky it was, though. Nor could she hide the tears that started to form in her eyes. “Chrom a-and Lissa and the others are looking for you. Y-You wandered off and… please, _please_ don’t be scared.” Her voice grew more desperate as she rambled on.

There was a long pause before Emmeryn’s trembling subsided somewhat, and she slowly uncurled from her fetal position. Her body was still tense and defensive, but she seemed less fearful than she had been a few moments ago.

“Chr… Chrom…? You kn… know Chrom?” She stammered.

“O-Of course! Emmeryn, it’s me— Robin! Don’t you… Don’t you recognize me?” Even as Robin’s urgency grew, she still kept her voice down.

“D… Don’t… I don’t… remember…”

_I don’t remember_.

Those words echoed in Robin’s mind, over and over again.

Emmeryn didn’t remember her? Well, that explained the fear, at least. But how could Emmeryn forget? What could’ve–

The fall.

Emmeryn had survived it, but of course she hadn’t come out of it completely unscathed. Her body wasn’t broken… but perhaps her mind was.

At least there was some relief to be found there, knowing that the exalt was only afraid because she couldn’t remember who Robin was.

But with that relief came even more guilt. And also a myriad of ‘if only’s.

If only she had done a better job at protecting Emm when Gangrel had invaded Ylisstol. If only she could’ve helped Chrom and Lissa convince her not to go back in the first place. If only she had _done something_ after Emm stepped off that pillar, instead of just standing there like a dumbstruck idiot.

Robin shut her eyes tight, turning her head to the side slightly.

Her breathing hitched as she forced back a muffled sob.

“Ro… Robin…? Don’t… Don’t cry.”

 

* * *

 

Distracted by the abundance of wildflowers surrounding her, Emmeryn almost didn’t notice the rhythmic thuds that softly shook the ground. And for the time being, she paid them no mind.

Vague images danced through her mind of two small children making flower crowns and frolicking through an ornate garden.

The faint, cloudy memory brought a small smile to her face.

It was rather frustrating at times, with how slowly her memory was coming back, but at least it _was_ coming back. Perhaps that particular memory was of Chrom and Lissa, from when they were younger. That made the most sense, but she wasn’t entirely sure.

Maybe… Maybe she could make a flower crown or two now? That sounded like something Lissa might like. Meanwhile Chrom seemed like the type of person who would only wear one solely because of the person who made it for him. He would look so adorable though, and those light blue flowers would compliment him especially well; Emm could picture it clearly. And perhaps Lissa would tease h–

“Emmeryn?” A voice interrupted her thoughts, one that she didn't recognize.

Of course, that didn’t mean much.

She turned to find out who had called for her, but froze when her eyes landed on the voice’s owner. Shock took over in the blink of an eye, leaving her unable to move.

A woman stood several yards away; a woman who was easily as tall as– if not taller than– the many trees behind them. Not only that, but this woman also had long horns and clawed fingers. Those features were more than enough to distract Emmeryn from the happy and eager look on the woman’s face. Especially when her smile revealed sharp, almost fang-like teeth.

“Gods, I’m so glad you’re alright, I–” the white-haired giantess cut herself off mid-sentence, as if she’d just noticed the fear that Emmeryn was most likely showing. Her smile quickly faded into a look of worry and dismay, though Emmeryn hardly acknowledged those emotions as such.

“Emm, what… what’s wrong? I-I know I look a little different but I– it’s still me.”

Oh gods, she was moving now.

Moving _toward_ her.

That was all it took to get Emmeryn out of her frozen state.

Her mind was internally screaming at her to run, to _get away_.

She started taking several steps back at a brisk pace at first, but when the giantess spoke again, she turned and made a run for it. Whatever the woman had said fell on deaf ears.

She was sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her, panic nearly causing her to trip more than once. The rumbling of the ground below her didn’t help with that, not when it meant that the giantess was in hot pursuit.

Emmeryn almost screamed when a pair of huge hands practically slammed down in front of her, but the sound got stuck in her throat. She could hardly breathe.

Digging her heels into the ground, Emmeryn stopped herself before she ran into them, but her feet slid out from under her in the process.

However, as she scooted back in order to put distance between herself and the living wall that blocked her path, they actually started to lift up and retreat, providing her with the perfect chance to try and escape again. She took the opportunity without hesitation, shooting back up onto her feet in less than a second.

It was too good to be true.

The hands returned, crashing down even quicker than they had before. This time, Emmeryn couldn’t stop herself soon enough. She crashed head-on into the wall of flesh before her.

Knowing that it would be pointless to back up again, Emmeryn opted for a far less dignified option. She couldn’t help it; she was just too scared. Rational thought was nonexistent for the time being.

She clambered right over those person-sized fingers, and she almost managed to haul herself up onto the other side, but before she could, the barrier beneath her started to shift and move.

And the next thing Emmeryn knew, she was surrounded in warmth. Practically smothered by it.

Then, as she felt herself begin to rise off of the ground, that stuck scream from earlier finally managed to break free. It came out as a rather pitiful mix between a yell and a whimper, though.

Even if she couldn’t see just how high up she was, Emmeryn was certain that it was too high.

Her bodily almost reflexively folded in on itself as she shielded her head with her arms. She was struggling to breathe now more than ever, certain that she was moments away from blacking out.

“E-Emm, please, don’t… I’m not going to– I won’t hurt you, I promise,” the giantess spoke up softly. Her voice was shaking almost as much as Emmeryn’s body was. “Chrom a-and Lissa and the others are looking for you– we… we all were. You wandered off and… please, please don’t be scared.”

It took some time for Emmeryn to process those words, but as she did, her fears gradually began to ebb away. She sat up as she moved out of her huddled position.

“Chr… Chrom…? You kn… know Chrom?” She questioned. For once her stutter came from more than just how it naturally was.

“O-Of course! Emmeryn, it’s me— Robin! Don’t you… Don’t you recognize me?” Her voice was an odd combination of soft and desperate, like an urgent whisper.

“D… Don’t… I don’t… remember…” The blonde admitted.

After saying that, the expression that… ‘Robin’ had was one that Emmeryn knew well by now. Realization followed by sadness, much like the looks she’d seen on Chrom and Lissa several days ago.

Only… there was something else mixed within those enormous gray eyes. Guilt and… empathy, perhaps? Emmeryn wasn’t sure, but it confused her greatly.

This woman must have known her; that much was obvious.

Perhaps they were even good friends at one point, if she referred to Emmeryn without any honorifics like Chrom’s companions did; always ‘Lady Emmeryn’ or ‘Your Grace,’ never just ‘Emmeryn.’ And especially not the endearing nickname of ‘Emm’ that her younger siblings often used.

After a moment of silence, Robin turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, and though she tried to hold it back, Emmeryn still heard that faint, muffled sob.

She looked up, and only then did she notice the tears that threatened to spill down the larger woman’s cheeks.

“Ro… Robin…? Don’t… Don’t cry,” Emmeryn insisted, a clear kindness mingled in with her broken words. She ran her hand back and forth along one of Robin’s large fingertips, in what she hoped came off as a comforting gesture. “We…  We were… fr-friends, yes?”

The two of them made eye contact once more as Robin stared at Emmeryn with a look of surprise. She continued to stare for almost a full minute, before finally saying something.

“Y-Yes, we were!” Robin replied quickly as she sniffled not-so-subtly. “S-Still are, I hope. Or at least, um, maybe… still can be?”

“I… I would… like that…” Emmeryn stated, smiling.

It was that same warm, welcoming smile that Robin knew and loved. The one that, until today, she thought she would never see again. She felt her tears start to return, though for a completely different reason this time.

Instead, she brought herself back to the task at hand.

“I– We should find the others and let them know that you’re safe,” the giantess noted, taking a quick glance at the area around them.

Emmeryn nodded a bit sheepishly in agreement. “Good… good plan.”

“I’m going to stand up now, alright? Just… hold on tight,” Robin instructed, moving her cupped hands closer to her chest.

“W-Wait–!” The exalt practically choked the word out, trying to speak too quickly. She clung tightly to Robin’s nearest finger the second the white-haired woman started rising up from her seated position.

Her fearful expression returned almost in full force.

“W-What’s wrong?” Robin asked nervously, freezing instantly after Emmeryn spoke.

“T-Too… Too high…” Emm tried to explain. She forced herself to maintain eye contact with Robin so that she didn’t have to look down at the ground below.

Robin might have chuckled if it wasn’t for how serious Emmeryn looked right now.

“Since when are y–”  The question died out before it even finished being asked.

_Since when are you afraid of heights?_

Because Robin already knew the answer. Maybe most of Emmeryn’s memories were no longer intact, but… well, perhaps some things just couldn’t be forgotten. Perhaps she didn’t even remember _why_ she was afraid.

“I… I’m sorry. I can set you back down, i-if you that’s what you want. I just– It would be quicker if I carried you, but… we don’t have to be quick, if that would make things easier for you,” Robin rambled.

“N… no. T-The others… Chrom… Lissa… worried. Need to… tell them,” Emmeryn disagreed. “Tell them… safe. I’m safe.”  

“A-Alright, if you insist,” Robin conceded, the faintest smile tugging at her lips. “You don’t have to worry, I’ll be careful,” she assured the smaller woman as she ever so slowly got to her feet.

With Robin standing at her full height, Emmeryn didn’t even want to risk the _possibility_ that she _might_ look down. Grabbing tiny fistfuls of Robin’s shirt, she practically buried her face in the fabric, in addition to having her eyes shut tight.

It really wasn’t too bad, as long as she didn’t think about it. As long as she focused on _literally anything else_ , she would be fine.

Which wasn’t too difficult, actually.

Her attention was drawn to the sound of Robin’s careful footsteps; one loud and yet somehow soft thud after the other. But there was a different sort of rhythmic sound that Emm found comfort in; a faint, constant thumping that came from the other side of the wall of fabric that stretched out around her.

Robin’s heartbeat.

“Are you doing okay, Emm?” she asked quietly after she took a few more steps.

“Y-Yes!” Emmeryn replied, without looking up or opening her eyes.

Robin was about to pester her with an ‘are you sure?’ but then thought better of it.  Instead, another question came to mind. “You’re… you’re not still scared of me, are you?”

Emmeryn hesitated at that. More so that normal.

“N… No. Why?”

“It’s just… well, the way you’re speaking…” Robin clarified.

“O-Oh… No, I… Speaking… hard. Words are… there, but can’t… come out… right,” Emmeryn explained as best as she could.

“I… I think I understand.”

What Emmeryn was trying to say was somewhat confusing, but overall it made sense. For the most part.

One thing about this was definitely certain, though.

Chrom had _a lot_ more explaining to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had  
> soooo much fun writing this chapter owo  
> Nothing like a little bit of that good old angst, am I right? :P
> 
> I just thought it would be interesting to sort of delve into Emmeryn's mental state right now.  
> Since, unlike in the actual game, she was with her siblings when she first woke up after the fall, I think that would help her get her memories back at least a tiny bit faster.  
> I also really like the idea that she's still able to _think_ in full and complete sentences, but she just has trouble _producing_ speech.
> 
> Sorry if that's kind weird or dumb or anything, but I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! See you again in two weeks ;3
> 
>  
> 
> **Edit: (4/27/18)**  
>  Hey again everyone! Just dropping in with a rather unfortunate little update.  
> So, the dreaded Finals Week is rapidly approaching, and with several deadlines looming over my head, I wasn’t able to finish writing the next chapter in time to keep to my schedule (sadly no chapter 28 on the 28th). I’m not sure when exactly I’ll have it done, but once I’ve gotten through all my finals and I’m home for the summer, I will have a lot more free time.  
> In addition to that, after I have posted Chapter 28, I will be taking a hiatus from this story, and a rather long one at that. As in... probably a few months.  
> I just... I’d like to take a break to sort out my plans for what’s coming next, as well as dedicate more time to other stories I’ve got in the works. Don’t worry though, I have no intentions of abandoning this story!  
> I plan on mentioning this again at the end of the next chapter, but I figured I should give a heads-up here while I’m leaving this little update note.  
> Sorry about the, uh, inconvenience, but I hope to see you guys again soon. :’3c  
> Thank you for all your support!
> 
> **Edit: (5/30/18)**  
>  Just dropping in with another update to let you guys know I'm still working on Chapter 28. Writer's block is a bitch :'D


	28. Not So Simple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In which a family is reunited again._  
> 

Thankfully, it didn’t take Robin long to find Chrom and the others.

Actually, it was Chrom and the others who found Robin first.

Lissa and Frederick had joined up with Chrom, Lucina, and Morgan at some point during the search, and explained to the two of them the situation with Robin and Morgan. Both were quite surprised at the coincidence, and Lissa was certainly excited to hear that Robin was close by, but most of that excitement was overshadowed by her worry over Emmeryn.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly hard for the five of them to spot Robin making her way through the trees several yards away. And none of them could ignore the way she kept her hands cupped protectively against her chest.

“Robin?” Chrom called over to her. “I thought you were going t– Wait, did you… did you find her?”

It took the giantess a moment to pinpoint where his voice was coming from, but once she did, she took that as her cue to start kneeling down. And to let her precious cargo return to the comfort of solid ground.

Well, it wasn’t… quite that easy.

Emmeryn’s grip on Robin’s shirt was so tight that Robin actually had to pry those tiny hands off of her. Carefully, of course. And even though Emmeryn was reluctant to let go, she did seem pretty relieved once her feet finally slid off of Robin’s hands and landed on the forest floor.

“Oh thank Gods! Emm, are you okay?” Lissa asked. With her and Frederick riding on Frederick’s horse, the two of them were the first ones to arrive at Emmeryn’s side.

Before the exalt could even answer the question, Lissa wasted no time in hopping down from the saddle and embracing her older sister in a tight hug. Emmeryn returned the gesture with much less intensity.

Meanwhile, Frederick’s attention was focused almost solely on Robin’s kneeling form, ever-vigilant and ever-wary. If he was suspicious of her, she couldn’t really blame him. All she cared about right now, though, was that Emmeryn was safe and reunited with her siblings.

“I… I’m okay…” Emm reassured the younger blonde. “Ro… Robin… helped.”

Lissa looked relieved, but also somewhat surprised by her answer. “Emm, do you… Do you remember Robin?”

The exalt shook her head. “I… don’t, but she… very kind. Our fr… friend, yes?”

Lissa’s gaze drifted up to meet Robin’s as she answered her older sister’s question. “Yeah, Robin’s a really good friend,” she stated with a bright, beaming smile that rivalled Emmeryn’s.

“Emm, what were you thinking?!” Chrom cut in as he approached with Lucina and Morgan trailing not too far behind him. His tone was stern, and Robin could even pick up a hint of anger.

Needless to say, that wasn't really the sort reaction she would have expected from him. It was just so… uncharacteristic of the man she knew.

She wasn’t the only one who thought that, it seemed.

Emmeryn looked visibly surprised by her brother’s words, as did Lissa.

“Do you have any idea how worried you made everyone?” He went on. “You know better than to—”

“Chrom. That’s enough,” Robin interrupted him before he could go any further. Her own faintly harsh tone was enough to stop him in his tracks. “What were _you_ thinking?” She countered, throwing his own question right back at him.

That was all it took to make the Ylissean prince lose any sort of frustration he might have had. Confusion replaced his serious expression.

“Wha… What do you mean?”

“Why on earth would you think bringing her out here with you was a good idea?” Robin specified.

“I… I…” Chrom stammered, seemingly reluctant to answer. He stole a brief, apologetic glance toward his older sister before looking back up at Robin. “I just… I couldn’t leave her behind. Not after everything that’s happened. I want to keep her close, and make sure I can keep her safe,” he admitted. “It’s… rather childish of me, I know.”

At his confession, Robin’s irritation quickly transformed into empathy. She understood how he felt, and she really couldn’t fault him for it. His sister had nearly _died_ the last time she was away from him. _Of course_ he would want to keep her close.

“Let’s stop being so dreary for now, alright?” Lissa piped up. “Emm’s safe, nobody got hurt, and more importantly, _Robin is here!_ Let’s signal the others and get back to the campsite. And _you_ have to tell us where you’ve been this whole time!” She delegated, directing that last order to their giant companion. Robin was rather amused watching the younger girl take charge like that. Even a little surprised by it, actually.

“Oh! And before I forget,” Lissa went on, taking a few steps closer to Robin. “Here, let me see your hand!”

And that request left her even more surprised.

“Wha… Why?” The giantess wondered with a curious grin.

“Don’t ask questions, just do it!” The princess insisted eagerly. _“Pleeeease?”_

“Alright, alright,” Robin relented, though she was still smiling. She lowered one of her hands and rested it palm up on the ground, not too far from where Lissa stood.

The others all just sat back and watched, equally confused about whatever Lissa was attempting to do.

And then the young blonde stepped right up onto Robin’s waiting hand, even going so far as to kneel down and make herself comfortable.

“Alright, let’s go!” Lissa declared with a satisfied smile.

Robin couldn’t help the soft giggle that escaped her. “You know, if you wanted me to carry you, you could’ve just asked.”

“Yeah, but if I just asked, then Chrom would’ve—”

“Lissa, you’re perfectly capable of walking back to the campsite on your own. Don’t burden Robin like that,” Chrom interrupted, scolding his younger sister.

“—said that.”

“It’s hardly a burden, Chrom. Lissa’s perfectly fine,” Robin assured him.

“Yeah! And besides, you and Emm both got to, so now it’s my turn!” Lissa pointed out. “You can always join me if you want to~!”

Chrom rolled his eyes and sighed, even though he probably should’ve been used to this sort of thing from her.

“Um, would it be alright if I joined you?” Morgan spoke up.

Lissa smiled. “Of course! She’s your mom, after all. And there’s plenty of room, right, Robin?”

Robin nodded, albeit with some hesitation.

This wasn’t exactly the most normal situation to be in, all things considered. Although it was hardly much stranger than anything that had happened it the past… months.

Not that she had any objections to it, it was just… weird. Really weird.

Morgan came to sit beside Lissa after that. His aunt. Which was an interesting notion to consider when the two of them were right next to each other; appearance-wise, the blue-haired boy was easily the same age as her.

“Anyone else wanna come along?” Lissa asked her other companions, still keeping that cheery, playful smile.

Emmeryn seemed perfectly content with staying as close to the ground as possible. Being carried by Robin earlier had been done only out of urgency and necessity. While it’d been far from a terrible experience, Emm probably wouldn’t be going through with it any time soon.

Meanwhile, Frederick remained as unamused and stern as ever, showing that he had every intention of staying on the back of his horse. Which was exactly what everyone else expected.

And that left Chrom and Lucina.

Chrom, who’d already made it pretty clear that he wanted to keep Emm as close to him as she could be. And Lucina, who…

Who still found it so hard to trust her mother. She’d even been tempted to try and stop Morgan from joining Lissa, and equally tempted to follow her father’s lead in insisting that Lissa should just walk.

Of course, she hadn’t done either of those things, unwilling to draw that sort of attention to herself. The future princess hated the mistrust that was brewing inside of her, but… surely it wasn’t so unreasonable for her to feel that way?

“Lucina?”

Morgan’s voice interrupted her somber thoughts, causing her to glance over at him. He was smiling, but it faltered the tiniest bit when he seemed to pick up on the pensive look she was wearing.

“Why don’t you join us?” He invited with a chipper, optimistic tone as he patted the open spot next to him on Robin’s palm.

Lucina didn’t want to hesitate with her answer, but that was exactly what she did. Her more impulsive side wanted to chime in with a very resolute ‘no,’ while the tactful side rushed to find a polite way of phrasing that without rejecting her younger brother so curtly.

She must’ve paused long enough for the others to take notice, because this time it was Robin who pulled her from her conflicted musings.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, M– Lucina. It… It is pretty strange, I know,” the white-haired giantess stated in an attempt to be reassuring. She didn’t look particularly offended or hurt by Lucina’s hesitance, thankfully. In fact, she seemed empathetic to it. Which only made Lucina’s decision even more difficult.

It really shouldn’t have been that hard of a decision to make, though, right?

Why was she making such a big deal out of this?

“No, I… I’ll come as well,” The blue-haired princess stated, attempting a smile as she walked up to Robin’s waiting hand. She could trust her mother. She knew that she could. She just… needed to prove it to herself.

Once she was settled alongside Morgan and Lissa, Robin stood up.

For Lucina and Lissa, it was an entirely new experience, watching as their living platform raised up off of the ground so quickly. And even though Morgan had done this before, he didn’t think it would ever get any less exciting.

“Oh my gosh, _Robin!!_ This is amazing!” Lissa exclaimed cheerfully. “And you get to see everything from this high all the time?”

“Y-yeah, mostly,” Robin answered sheepishly as she started to feel a little embarrassed.

She tensed up as Lissa leaned closer to the edge of her hand, trying to get a better look at the ground directly below them. Lucina was almost ready to lunge forward and pull her aunt back.

“Aunt Lissa, please be careful,” she insisted, keeping her voice down. But even she had to admit that the view from up here _was_ rather breathtaking.

“I’ll be fine! Geez, you’re just as bad as your father,” the young blonde teased light-heartedly, waving down to the others.

“If you think this is high, you should see what it’s like when she flies,” Morgan commented, smiling brightly. “It’s incredible.”

“Woah woah woah, back up. Has she carried you while she’s _flown?”_ Lissa questioned, finally pulling away from the edge to pester her nephew.

“Yeah! That’s how we got to Mount Prism, actually. We flew,” he explained to her, trying not to sound _too_ boastful.

Lissa directed her next question more toward Robin. “Flew from where exactly?”

“Well, we found Morgan near an abandoned temple in the, um… I think we were in Regna Ferox? Close to the coast?” Robin tried her best to explain.

“You flew all the way from Plegia to Regna Ferox?” The blonde wondered, sounding more than a little impressed.

“Um. N-No, not… not exactly,” the giantess stammered. “It’s… kind of a long story.”

“I already told you that you have to tell us where you’ve been, didn’t I? There’s still a little bit of time before we get back to the campsite, so c’mon! Spill!” Lissa pestered.

“O-Okay. Um, well, after I… after I… left Castle Plegia, I just sort of picked a direction and kept going,” Robin started.

Lucina could practically feel the reluctance in her mother’s tone. This particular subject was clearly one that Robin didn’t like to think about; that much was obvious.

“Before I knew it, I was flying over the ocean. I… I must’ve been _miles_ above the water. It was incredible. It felt like it would just keep stretching on and on forever. And _I_ felt like I could stay up there just as long. I didn’t think I would ever want to come back down,” she went on, quickly losing her hesitation from a moment ago.

Lissa hung onto every word, enraptured by Robin’s tale.

So did Morgan, for that matter.

“But then I finally reached land. I think Tiki said the continent was called… Valm?”

Lissa’s jaw dropped. “You flew _across the sea_ to _Valm?_ I’ve heard that’s, like, at least a week’s worth of sailing, at best! And you got there in, what, less than a day? That’s so cool!”

The young blonde still had plenty more questions after that, and while Robin tried to answer them all the best she could, she was also focused on watching her step as she followed the others walking below.

From their vantage point, the four of them could already see the campsite in a small clearing closer to the base of the mountain. It wouldn't be long now before the group arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok ok ok  
> So this author's note is probably gonna get pretty lengthy, and I apologize for that in advance, along with the, like, billion other things I'm about to apologize for x'D
> 
> First off, I want to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out, and also for how short it ended up being. I had originally planned for it to be about twice as long as it is now. I had way more stuff I wanted to have happen in this chapter, but in the end I decided to just post what I already had so I could get something out to you all. 
> 
> Even though I've been on summer vacation for over a month now, I've just had a lot of trouble sitting down and working on this story. Mostly due to family-related things and job hunting that didn't really pan out the way I'd hoped. I've also gotten very ~~obsessed~~ hooked on a new video game or two, and that's kind of been eating away at most of my free time. 
> 
> The other issue is, I've just kinda... burnt myself out on this story? If that makes sense? I just... Over My Head was originally just a simple little one-shot I wrote up for the hell of it, and I barely had anything planned for it aside from a handful of little scenarios here and there, so the fact that it's gotten this far is pretty... surprising? Unexpected? Words elude me at the moment. x'D
> 
> Don't get me wrong, though, I really want to finish this story, I don't want to abandon it or cancel it or anything like that!  
>  _But_ I do have other stories I would like to work on and dedicate my time to, without having to worry as much about this one. 
> 
> I know I was already on a sort of mini-hiatus already, in some ways, but I will be officially putting Over My Head on hold for... the foreseeable future. Probably until December, at the earliest? I'm not entirely sure. It just depends, really.  
> Make me feel even more bad about how short this chapter was, because I was hoping to end it in a way that would be a little more of a high note to leave off on.
> 
> Sorry again, but I hope you all enjoyed this latest installment, and I will be back again! Eventually! At some point in the future! 
> 
> In the meantime, be sure to leave a comment, let me know what you think of the story so far. If there's anything you think I need to improve on, I'm always open to _constructive_ criticism. Also be sure to keep an eye out for other stories I might be posting in the near future. I do have some other little projects I've been concocting :P


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